Breaking Boredom
by boredphantasizer
Summary: The seal used to contain the Kyuubi inside a human is quite complex as it is. when tampered with by a man whose skill is far from perfect, it can lead to unfortunate and unpredictable complications within the seal. This leads to changes within the ball of energy known as Uzumaki Naruto. he loses interest and only chases his own ideals...which are not what they used to be
1. Chapter 1

_**Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja**_

'Where am I?'

The endeavor to move sore muscles and tired bones left the teen with a feeling of drowsiness and made his head swim

'oh yeah…I'm here'

trying to rub his eyes in frustration as his memories returned, he found it hard to lift his arm over his face

'the air feels…'

the pair of eyelids rose and two orbs of blue lazily wandered to observe his surroundings

'hmm…'

the ruined city that replaced the green lush of the forest did not bother him in the least

'why is that…'

there was no cloud in the sky nor was there any sun. The atmosphere was one of peace and destruction. The calm after a raging storm. It felt right to be there, lying on the ground senseless and lifeless.

'I see…'

life slowly made its way back into the teen's veins and after an eternity of observing the ruined walls and fallen houses. Slowly, he rolled over and used his hands to push himself up. Was it always this hard to move about?

He switched his weight over to his legs and sat up

'…Hnn…'

the barren wasteland of rubble and debris was now filled with weaponry of different sorts, from blades to maces and axes. Each form of steel felt like it belonged there, be it in pinned into the ground, stuck in a wall or even if it lied on the ground like it simply fell down from some fighter's rugged hands. The sight of scattered steel was like the perfect decoration to a contorted house.

'This can't be good…'

his eyes lazily wandered to his hands. Something was not quite right and yet it was simply acceptable to have it that way.

Red

Why the color of blood was there didn't seem to possess much importance as it didn't feel disturbing in the least.

'Get up…'

energy mingled in the teen's body as he stood up with newfound strength. His head felt lighter as the air of tiredness left and lucid thoughts came to life once more.

'Get up…'

his normally orange outfit was in tatters and his body was adorned with scars, his pants the only thing left unharmed and completely covering the lower parts of his body. Then again, was it really his body?

It didn't feel that familiar. His feet were too far from his vision. He didn't remember being so distant from the ground.

'GET up…'

*thud*

wary ears perked at the sound of footsteps. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as the thought of someone else present in this perfect world was frightening if not alarming. What gave him the feeling of being home was the fact that he believed he had this world to himself and himself only. Having the only rule broken was not amusing in the least.

'GET UP'

*Thud*

limbs began to tremble as the foreign figure came to sight. It was frightening, alarming, annoying, disgraceful and sickening all at the same time. Such creature didn't belong there. Not in this perfect world. That figure, filled with scars, wearing tattered orange clothing and blonde hair did not fit there. What was unbearable to see were those two pure black eyes with red pupils.

The figure's lips parted to show sharp pearl-white teeth dripping with hunger and malice before the lower jaw moved away from the upper one to form words.

 **"Welcome ho-"**

'GET UP'

void swallowed the teen before the figure could finish the sentence that sounded so familiar yet so strange.

 **Forest of Death**

"nn…*Groan*…where am I?"

Suddenly, it was rather easy to be alive. He noticed this simple fact when he realized his hand was already scratching his scalp as a habit when he was confused. Why did he do that anyway?

"…well this sucks" he mumbled as he looked to his right to see his teammate with raven hair sleeping peacefully

'not exactly a face one would want to see when they wake up' he thought with a frown as he stood up and stretched to get used to this feeling. His muscles were back to normal functionality after five minutes of stretching.

'Hmm…where's the other one?' he wondered as he made his way out of the cave. He faced a pink haired teen around his age sleeping. She used the tree trunk as a sorry excuse for a pillow to get some rest.

'Useless….' He thought to himself as he let his eyes wander. The clearing was filled with traps of all sorts. Wires to alarm her of any incoming intruders, explosive seals for any sorry creature that dared get too close to said item and finally, bait. The most important and crucial part of any trap.

A sleeping innocent teenager whose mind and soul and more importantly, body, were untainted and had her guard down. What more could one ask for?  
He proceeded to break a branch and use a kunai to patiently prune all the extra parts of a branch that made it different from a thin stick.

'It will have to do' he commented as he looked at the slim stick in his hand. It wasn't anything special. It couldn't bring the dead back to life or summon a genie but it was what he needed

*poke*

"oi sakura"

*snore*

'…dammit'

he tried to poke her shoulder once more with the stick as he kept a safe distance, believing her airheaded attitude could be contagious. Did he always feel this urge to distance himself from her crush? Was this urge going to become a regular tendency?

*poke*

*snore*

'…I see…' he thought grimly as he changed the aim of the stick from her shoulder to her face

*double poke*

"*snore*…mmm….just a minute" she grumbled, clearly half asleep

"oh sakura…you're in a dangerous forest with your teammates" he cooed sweetly

"uh-huh…." She grumbled, eyes closed

"and guess who's going to leave you to three foreign ninja closing in on us if you don't wake up" he finished in a monotone voice, empty of any humor or even care

"mm?" was all she managed to let out before her eyes snapped open and stood up with a kunai in hand

"Impressive" spoke a voice from the trees. It was the farthest tone from amicable even though it was tinted with praise

"stay back Naruto. You're still injured. I'll handle this" she finished with a confident look.

Could she be relying on those traps to strategically overwhelm them? Or was it…optimism and naivety? The blonde couldn't tell.

Three figures emerged from the thick woods. Not quite the odds she expected. After all, she had just woken up and spoke almost instinctively.

"Oho…I see…" the blonde whispered nonchalantly. Not exactly what one would expect from konoha's number one unpredictable ninja. Then again…

'What's up with him? Darn it I don't have the time to worry about him right now…what can I do?' she thought desperately. She was beginning to reconsider her decision and ask Naruto for help

"Naruto…" she whispered. No response was heard as the blonde stared back at the three sound Nin

"are you done with your strategic meeting? We're growing a bit bored you see" the hunched nin in the middle grumbled with an annoyed tone

"I decided to give you a handicap and cease attacks for a minute because your odds suck and you impressed me but you didn't do anything entertaining…therefore I'll just deal with you like any other trash" he reprimanded as he pulled his sleeve up to reveal his armored arm.

"YOUTH SHALL PREVAIL AGAINST ALL ODDS"

a loud shout shook all five nins and the surrounding trees and not much later, a green-clad teen with a strange haircut landed next to the pinkette

"what in god's name are you?" the second male of the sound nin stated with slight shock. No surprise there. Why would anyone wear spandex in public? The green color did not help alleviate the traumatizing effect.

"Damn you're loud" the blond scratched his head. Why him? And why couldn't he sense him approaching? Was his chakra that weak? Or was he that good at concealing it? Too many thoughts. He needed to rest

"Naruto-kun! I have come to join you in this youthful battle. Let us join flames and show them what konoha Nin are made of" he stated passionately.

"Sure...since you asked nicely" was the lazy response from the blonde as he looked at the green teen from the corner of his eyes

"Dammit Naruto what the hell is wrong with you?" the pinkette couldn't take it anymore and expressed the question eating at her mind.

"….mm.." he looked away from the pinkette to the three sound nin

"do you find this that entertaining that you've ceased to attack?" he asked aloud, receiving three nods in return. All he could do was grumble unidentifiable words as he made his way back to the cave, scratching his head. A clear sign of questions that baffled him.

"Naruto-kun!" shouted the teen with unnaturally thick eyebrows

"I'm tired, hungry, thirsty and have absolutely no desire to fight three idiots with two…" 'Bigger idiots' he finished in his mind before entering the cave. He needed to meditate. He was still new to all of this. It was usually easier to go about with his mask on but now, he felt like he would choke if he put that grin back on his face.

"Ah well…it seems we must make our move now" the hunched Nin stated and began moving

 **Cave**

The blonde sat down and leaned on a wall as he heard the battle going on outside. It felt like hearing kids fighting in the street to him. Annoying, loud, useless and worst of all, agonizing to bear witness to.

He regained his composure and decided to clear his mind of any impurity as he took a meditative pose. The sound of battle grew more distant as he felt himself lighten up and smiled faintly. This feeling was the best. Detaching himself from the worthless world. All senses disabled except for the sixth one can sometimes result in a blissful relaxation even in the middle of a battle, literally in this case.

His smile disappeared and was replaced with an annoyed scowl as he felt malicious energy radiate from the other boy present.

'What now…' he opened his left eye and spared a glance at the boy now covered in black markings.

The raven-haired boy chuckled under his breath as he stared at his right hand. He steeled himself after hearing a scream similar to the pink haired kunoichi's. He began his walk to the battlefield, too eager to test himself and ignored the blonde teen who was back in his own world. He fell back and hit the ground with a light thud, his relaxed rhythm of breathing signaling loss of consciousness.

 **Wastelands**

'I'm home' he thought to himself with slight amusement as he opened his eyes to the familiar landscape. The abnormality of his haven stared at him with eager red eyes.

 **"Welcome home"** he growled in a feral voice as if responding to the blonde's thoughts

 **"You must have a lot of questions…better get comfortable first. It will be a little while"**

he obeyed the anomaly's order and decided to sit on a piece of rubble. Comfort didn't matter nearly as much as what the figure had to say

 **"I am you, yet I am not. We are one yet we are not. We used to share one body and coexisted as separate souls. But now, things have changed. Now there is one soul residing in one body"  
**

the blonde smiled faintly at the figure's way of talking. So formal.

 **"Hmm…I'm glad to see you amused by my words but I am serious. Our souls are beginning to merge, Human."  
**

"So tell me, _Demon_. What's the problem? I couldn't help but notice my loss of interest in everything. Even the girl I used to have a crush on. She was fun to be around and her reactions were very amusing. Even now as I speak and remember it, I feel somewhat sick for having feelings for someone I barely knew. Plus, I didn't know I was such a good chakra sensor until now"

 **"That is simply a transformation which confirms what I tell you. We are becoming one, human. Whether you like it or not, your weak personality is being crushed by mine"  
**

"and why is it that your formal attitude trumps my outgoing and energetic one?"

 **"Hmph…it seems you've grown so fond of that mask you wear that you've forgotten it is fake and the roots are weak. Soon you will also become detached from humanity as I am."  
**

The blonde's fingers twitched at that comment. Involuntarily or not, his body reacted to the obvious fact that it has been faking actions it did not want to commit for years and moved in automated joy of losing the reason to put up a farce and gain freedom to do as pleased.

 **"Hah. Even your body is overjoyed to hear you can finally be something more than a clown who garners attention."  
** Another slight twitch was a signal that he hit another spot and that he was on the right track.

 **"Your kind saw you as a demon and resented you for years. The number of people who cared for you can be counted on one hand"** he stated as he raised his right blood-smeared hand

"if you're done stating facts, please do not get side-tracked and return to the topic at hand" he groaned as he swayed his hand lazily in front of his face, as if shooing a fly away. Apparently, this anomaly in his mindscape was becoming more of a nuisance than a fearsome enigma.

 **"You are right. As I said, we are merging. It will not be long before we become one. As you can see, we already share the same body."  
** He kept silent waiting for any questions. After none were raised and the blonde motioned for him to continue, he nodded and spoke once more.

 **"This body we share in here represents your personality. These scars…"** he ran a hand over a cut on his neck **"Represent the pain you've suffered and the agony you went through in your short life"  
**

Again, he paused and looked expectantly at the blonde

"Guh…fine, I'll ask a question. Why so much blood?" he groaned lazily

 **"It represents your desire, Human. Your nonchalant attitude states your detachment from the world but the blood covering your persona speaks for itself. You want all who made you suffer to experience the same fate if not worse. Even this body shows your mentality is no longer that of a child."  
**

'He sure likes to talk' he thought to himself with an unconscious nod, his body accepting the conclusion of its master.

 **"I'm simply trying to explain to you what you're going through"  
**

'for which I'm grateful' he thought but his body twitched in disagreement. A twitch on the anomaly's eyebrow made it evident that the other body's owner was quite aggravated at the blonde's ungratefulness.

 **"I know your new attitude mirrors mine but for some reason, I resent it greatly"  
**

"maybe because you're wrong about my attitude mirroring yours. Yours isn't that strong anyway. Too fake…like my mask"

 **"Yes…I can tell by the way you keep your morals"** he waved his hand, gesturing to the rubble around him

 **"The only thing you're diligent about is that"** he pointed behind the blonde

turning around, he saw an iron tower reaching for the sky. The lack of windows kept outsiders from seeing inside the spiral tower that twisted around itself and flew towards the sky in an attempt to break the endless blue with its iron tip.

His eyes wandered for the front door but couldn't find any. Looking more at the tower, he sensed a feeling of determination well up in him.

 **"That tower is what you called 'your word'"** A nod from the blonde was all he needed to continue

 **"You said that you would make your own path and that you would never go back on your words. Do you know what those words mean, Human?"**

Another nod followed by a sentence from the blonde

"I will respect and never betray myself"

 **"Correct, human. No matter how detached you would become, how heavy that mask would feel on you or how many times you would fall, you would never betray yourself."** He began to walk towards his blue eyed counterpart

 **"Even if the whole world goes against you, if you are beaten, frustrated or worse, you will stay true to yourself and your beliefs"  
** a small sigh drew the demon's attention

"beliefs, huh?" he whispered as he looked at the remains of his former beliefs that were crushed by fate's impenitent hands.

 **"Worry not, my soulmate"** he cooed as he wrapped his arms around the blonde's chest

what the boy felt press against his back was not quite what was expected. It's not every day that instead of a flat, hard chest, two spheres of soft meat press against you. Pretty small spheres too at that. He turned his head slightly to see the red-head that had replaced his demonic twin

 **"we have a lifetime to build your beliefs together. I am the reason you became like this."** She traced a lone finger on the teen's chest. He could feel something new in her voice. Something he did not expect from a demon of her caliber

'why do you sound regretful?' he thought to himself, knowing she would respond soon enough.

 **"Am I not the reason you had to live the life of a trash?"** she whispered as she buried her face in his scarred back

'Oho…what might this be? ...there's an enchanting elegance present' he thought with a smile that stretched his lips. For some reason, he found it amusing that a demon cared for a human and he was the human in this fairy tale.

 **"Do you see? This is what I mean. You do not care about anything to the point that you're like a walking dead."  
**

"I had different opinions about a demon's behavior towards humans." He stated as he turned his head back to the iron tower

 **"So what?!"** she stated with anger as she let go and took a step back

 **"Even a demon will feel pity after seeing what humans can do to an innocent child. Do you think I like the way you turned out because of my existence in you? Do you think it was easy to sit and watch as you went through life, trying to survive every day?"** her voice rose with every question.

"Shut up" he replied in a clearly annoyed tone as the sky grew darker and more grey, losing its deep blue hue.

"What gives you the right to feel sorry for me?" he turned around and faced the nude red-head whose unruly short red hair wavered in anger. Her red pupils moved in their sockets in split seconds as she looked for any emotion she could understand by looking at the sea blue eyes of the teenager. He took a step forward and used his height to tower over hers and stared down at her. Those determined and confident eyes left her speechless. She did not expect this reaction at all.

"Who gave you permission to beat yourself up over other people's mistakes?" he stated with a tone of authority

Long gone was the brash blonde who shouted his lungs out and was all over the place. This new entity that stared into her eyes was an oppressing presence that seemed like it could crush anything in its path. The sky turned black and night took over the landscape, the only thing radiating light being the iron tower that shined with a silver brilliance.

"I understand that you're a demon and different from humans. Humans fear what they do not understand and can sometimes react in ways less befitting a human." His normally monotonous voice carried a hint of sorrow as he continued

"the way I was treated was unfair." He ran a finger on her face as he tilted his head and smiled

"but I don't see how it's your fault, red-head. I can't let my soulmate put the blame on herself for others' ignorance and foolishness. But anyway…" he whispered as he put his palm on the back of her neck and pushed her face towards his.

"I'm grateful that a great demon like you has such feelings for me" he stated in a low voice and pressed her lips against his.

The sky's hue of blue returned as the red-head's eyes widened in realization of what just happened. She knew she had to resist. It was unheard of for a demon to fall for a human, let alone the greatest in existence like her. Her actions defied her logic as she closed her eyes and let this feeling wash over her. This feeling was sweet, kind, gentle and addicting at the same time.

He ended the kiss and withdrew his head, followed shortly by hers which involuntarily trailed his for a short moment, longing for the feeling it left on her lips.

He smiled playfully as he rubbed her ear, drawing a groan from her closed frowning lips.

'You know…for a demon in the form of a fox, I was expecting cuter ears but I guess these will suffice' he thought as he began to scratch behind her ear. She involuntarily began to smile so much that her eyes closed in joy and used her hands to hold his wrist, signaling her feelings of enjoyment at the soft caressing. She tilted her head when the boy hit a soft spot and leaned into his palm with a sigh of pleasure. It ended too soon for her liking as he pulled his hand away and his face turned back to its former emotionless glory.

 **"nn…Human…that was unfair. Don't you know to never leave a woman longing?"** she whispered in a mixed tone of residual pleasure and annoyance at the abrupt end.

"I'll come around again. It's not like you're going anywhere" he swayed his hand in front of his face again. Was it becoming a new habit?

"red-head…" he looked at the scattered steel tools. The amount was enough to arm a castle filled with soldiers.

 **"Oh…that…I guess you could say that's my share of soul which is merging with yours"  
**

'what…' he killed the thought and patiently waited for her to regain her composure. Her eyes showed that her attention was elsewhere. Looking at the weapons closer, he noticed a familiar marking on the hilt of a sword.

 **"I didn't want to kill all those people…"** she whispered with a broken voice.

'…' he said nothing and only stared back at her

 **"He made me do it…that blasted sharingan of his…he made me hurt everyone. I-"  
**

The blonde didn't let her finish as he embraced her in a tight hug and scratched her head as she buried her face into his chest and sobbed heavily.

"It must have been horrible, red-head…having no one to talk with about something you regret" he whispered into her ear, trying to console her the best way he could. His lack of emotions made it possible for him to stay calm and think thoroughly about what her problem could be. Her sobbing turned to weeping as she hugged back and screamed into his embrace. He rubbed circles on her back and leaned his head on hers as he listened to feral screams of pain and agony.

"It must've hurt a lot…knowing you would turn many children into orphans…women into widows and men into widowers…make many experience the death of their child before their own…" he continued to whisper the things he could count as he thought about her pain. To top it all off, she had to watch an innocent boy pay for what she didn't want to do by losing his humanity.

'Get up…'

"Red-head…I have to go" he whispered as he let go and gave her some room to wipe her eyes.

"Hmph…you were mistaken though. My attitude didn't change because we're merging. This simply led to my mask being crushed. My own personality far out powers yours" he poked her forehead with his index finger playfully.

'Get Up…'

"You should be proud that I crushed your mask instead…you'll die early if you live like me"

'GET up…'

"Besides…I like tsundere red-heads"

 **"Shut-"** she raised her head, ready to retort but he was gone and with him, the weapons scattered throughout the area.

 **"Not again!"** she screamed in annoyance. Fate can be quite a cruel mistress when the opportunity shows itself.

 **Riverside**

The sound of running water drove him back to reality and the only thing that alleviated his annoyance was the smell of fried fish…or frying in this case as he could also smell the smoke of a nearby fire.

He sat up and looked around lazily with eyelids only raised halfway up. His eyes paused briefly in acknowledgement as he looked at his teammates. His gaze paused on a white haired nin. Not knowing better, the white hair decided to introduce himself.

"Hello, I'm kabu-"

"I don't care" he cut him halfway and earned a sweat drop from the nin whose eyeglasses almost fell from his face.

"Narutooo!" the pinkette growled violently. He had to finish this as soon as possible to avoid a rant from her.

"Feed me" he stated monotonously as he stared at her with expectant eyes. At first she flinched at the unexpected reaction but regained her composure and grew angry at his weird attitude.

"Are You Trying To Be Shino or Shikamaru? Pick one already!" She shouted out loud.

The blonde's stare turned to a glare as he narrowed his eyes further and his features darkened. Since it was her first time seeing the blonde so pissed, she took a step back. Even the last Uchiha found it strange that the loudmouth of the trio was acting this way. Sakura had told her about Naruto's strange behavior. Was it the snake-man's fault?

"If you draw more shinobi, I will personally hand you over as a peace treaty if it would make them go away." He stated with a dry tone, fingers twitching in anticipation of finally doing something liberating. The look on his face wasn't lying either. This caused her to shiver and stay quiet as he reached for a fish-on-a-stick and ate away lazily.

"now now, Naruto-kun. It's not nice to talk like that to a fellow teammate, a girl at that." The guest decided to try his luck again. It was a shot in the dark but he gave it a go. The blonde spared him a blank stare before resuming his meal.

"I hate to say it but he's right. Stop treating sakura like she's a hindrance. Did you forget what kakashi taught us?" the boy with the opposite hair coloring grunted

'here comes the pain…' the blonde groaned mentally and soon enough, a squeal followed that hurt his brain to the cell.

He threw the stick away and stood up, stretching his muscles.

"I don't know what happened to you dobe, but you don't have the right to treat everyone like crap unless you have a good reason for it" he stated with finality, getting nods from his female companion and the guest.

'I need to hit something…hard…with something that's harder…' he thought as he walked away from group.

"I need to take a leak" he grumbled as he distanced himself from the companions and the guest.

"Take your time, Naruto-kun" said the guest, trying to mend his relation with the blonde.

'I think I'll hit _him_ with something hard…' he waved in acknowledgement with that thought.

 **Elsewhere**

The blonde sighed in bliss as he felt the pressure leave his abdomen.

 **'Not bad…It'll grow bigger when you're 18, right?'** A feral voice interrupted his moment of peace.

'If you were keeping this a secret, you just chose the worst time to surprise me' he thought as he pulled his zipper and scowled.

 **'You can at least be a little surprised, Human. You sound like everything annoys you even in your head'  
**

'yeah well…what can I say…I don't mind' he thought as his hand swayed. Yep. It's a habit now. One that he didn't mind.

 **'Hmph…I'm beginning to wonder why I fell for you…'  
**

'It's either because we're merging or because I fixed my mindscape a bit. Either way, I don't care as long as the result does not bother me'

he tensed when he sensed three chakra signatures approach him.

 **'You're also welcome for the enhanced chakra control, Human'  
**

'Not now red-head. Just keep telling me what's new so I can do something about this…' he mentally replied and looked at the three shadows approach him, listening to her explanation about the new abilities this fusion brought to him. He had to smile when she told him chakra manifestations such as Bijuu are the closest things to immortal. His smile spread even farther as the three approached closer to his position.

"Hmm? ...oho…how interesting" he mused as he recognized the boy with the love kanji on his forehead. The leader of the sand trio. He remembered the Konohamaru incident like it was yesterday.

'I must be some sort of red-head magnet'

 **'He's also a container, human. I would be cautious if I were you. You can be lazy and careless if you want but don't forget that if you die, it won't end so sweetly for me'  
**

'Aww…I won't die red-head so don't be sad' he replied in mock care

'besides…I don't think he can do anything to cut my head off'

the sand trio approached the patiently waiting blonde and raised their guard when he unzipped his orange jacket and threw it away.

"I'm glad the bright sign worked. Now, let's try to talk this out without making me move" he stated with a foxy grin on his face

"do you have a scroll?" the blonde with four pig-tails asked

"nope. And please refrain from talking to me unless you want to be deadpanned by my curt attitude" he replied dryly, clearly not interested in the topic. His tone succeeded in drawing a tick mark on her forehead.

"Well…I really want to beat you up for being so rude and annoying but whatever brother says goes" she countered as she put her hand on the red-head's shoulder.

"I hope you make the right choice, Gaara" she whispered, not taking her eyes off the other blonde.

"Would you be kind and leave us alone? I'd like to talk with him about private matters. It would be best for your own sakes if you did not bear witness to what is about to unfold" he said with his habit flaring. As if his terseness wasn't enough, he had developed a habit that clearly stated his boredom at others' very existence. To top it off, it looked like everyone around him smelled bad.

"What the…who do you think you are?!" the boy with war paint on his face stated, equally annoyed like her sister and put his hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"You know what to do Gaara" he also decided to encourage killing the annoying blonde.

"Hmm…" the red-haired boy with black lines under his eyes raised his hand and sand ensnared the blonde boy. His facial features did not change in the slightest as he was raised up and drawn closer to the red-head

"What you have to say had better be worth your life, Konoha nin. I don't know why you're so confident and arrogant but I'm willing to hear you out at least." He stated with a dead tone that overpowered Shino's and rivaled Naruto's own.

"I have a thing for red-heads so please let me touch you." He stated with an innocent and honest smile, earning sweat drops from the siblings and a blink from the red-head present.

'He's dead' both siblings thought in unison.

Gaara pushed Naruto away in his sand carrier and shook his head in annoyance. What was wrong with konoha ninjas? At least the other villages' ninjas would be serious and do something to hurt him. Konoha's Nin failed to follow that code. With a grip of his fist, the sand crushed its content, the audible crunch a clear sign of obliterated bones.

He dropped the blood stained sand and his jaw dropped in shock, resulting in two other jaws that followed lead.

'He's alive?' thought the red-head

'Gaara's jaw just dropped?' thought the sister

'I don't even know what the fuck is going on anymore' thought the brother whom regained his composure and went poker face. Years of training and instinct development warned him that if things flowed the way they did, common sense would be useless if not a burden.

The blonde boy was lying on the sand, clothes drenched in blood but other than the blood, he seemed fine and stared blankly at Gaara.

"Is this how you hold a normal conversation?" he stated monotonously and waited for his bones to heal, the burning sensation coursing through him. The searing feeling didn't bother him in the least. It's pain, there's nothing you can do about it. It's the type which you can't learn from nor can you stop so you just go with it. What bothered him was how he was supposed to explain the red attire. He felt his bones take form after minutes of torturous pain. He decided to avoid this in the future if possible.

"w-well, even if he survived for whatever reason, we clearly heard the bones, right Kankuro?" stated Temari with a scared smile, hoping for the answer she desperately needed to hear

"my gut says he'll get up and do something stupid again so I'm just going to pretend I'm not here" he shot back without any mercy for his sister's feelings.

'Why am I doing this again?' he thought lazily as he stood up, once more shocking his three new _friends_.

 **'Because you love me? You can at least pretend to be human and say ouch you know…'  
**

It was okay to get used to pain but getting crushed and a grimace being the only reaction is a bit inhumane, even to a demon.

'Whatever…just do your thing…a touch is all you said you need right?' he crouched and a moment later, he was standing in front of the red-head, staring back at his shocked expression.

"Gaara-kun…" he whispered lowly, his breath gently hitting the red-head's face. He pulled Gaara into a passionate lip lock, using his hands to pull him into the kiss. The word shocking is not enough to describe the events that followed.

The sister's face switched shades, starting with pale, followed by red and another pale. It was really hard to see his brother, the famed demon of sand and the insane insomniac blush as he was being kissed by a total stranger who just survived the famed sand coffin. The brother was in absolute poker face mode. He stopped caring a while ago when he noticed two other teams of Konoha leaf ninjas hiding and watching for an opportunity. He could hear different sounds that would normally show surprise and…a man crying? This place will drive a normal man crazy but the boy had set his mind on not giving any cares and went to his imaginary happy place, with his imaginary puppets. He needed this to stay sane. A smile graced his features…

Gaara tried to struggle and pushed away at him but he refused to let go. His grip was monstrous and even his sand couldn't pull him away. He was afraid if he pulled too hard, the boy would take a limb or two with him. His head began to feel lighter as his eyelids shut and felt his consciousness sway before fainting.

As the red-head fell, Naruto inhaled sharply, taking in the much needed air. He noticed the siblings' expressions and smiled at the boy. He knew he was going to get along with him.

"Hi. I just kissed your brother and will probably have more to do with him in the future so expect to see me around often. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. You are?" he asked with an innocent smile

"t..t..temari" was all she managed to utter before falling on her knees. The emotional roller coaster had taken a toll on her indeed

"Kankuro. I've seen so much weird shit today, I don't even give a fuck anymore" he shrugged as he waved his hand.

"Take good care of my brother" he stated as he bowed, drawing a scream from the pig-tailed blonde and a nervous smile from the bishonen loving/abusing blonde.

 **Sideline 1**

Chouji, Shikamaru and Ino stared with wide eyes and open mouth at the scene that occurred. They witnessed the number one unpredictable ninja in konoha lock lips passionately with a killing machine after being crushed. To say they've seen everything was no overstatement in this moment.

'Dude!? What the hell?' thought Shikamaru as he watched the red-head fall unconscious. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise when he remembered the times he spent with Naruto. Was he into him too? Was he already marked in Naruto's dark list?

'I don't think I'll be pooping right for a while' thought Chouji as he held his stomach. He felt his stomach react violently at the scene. He literally could not stomach the fact that Naruto just made out with another guy. The blood that covered him was not making this easier on him either.

'Was he…that good?' the female companion thought with shock. She had ignored the blonde loudmouth so far but this required a thorough inquiry into the boy's hidden abilities. She knew every boy in her class like the back of her hand and it seems naruto's darker side had escaped her sharp eyes. A mistake she would make up for by keeping a closer eye on him.

"Let's get outta here. Sticking around anymore would be troublesome" whispered shikamaru as he dragged his companions away from the scene, one holding his stomach and the other holding her red face.

 **Sideline 2**

'YOUTH TRULY KNOWS NO BOUNDS' lee thought with tears running down his cheeks 'NARUTO-KUN! YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT EVEN IF YOU ARE REACHING FOR A FORBIDDEN FRUIT'

'what…the…fuck?' thought the girl of the group with a heavy blush on her features. Why did it suddenly feel so hot? Was it the kiss? Was it the futile struggle, trying to push away unrequited love? Or was it the fact the he gave up, leaned into it and fainted from happiness? Why was she so hot right now? Why did she want the blonde to continue?!

'…I feel like I will grow grey hair if I care about any of this' the boy with white eyes nodded with finality, seeing as how even thinking about a boy crying over a man-on-man make-out would scar him for life. He dragged his companions away before things got messy…messier…was it even possible for it to get worse? He decided to pretend it never happened and looked for something else to focus on.

"Oh. There's a helpless team about to get attacked by a tiger. Let's take their scroll when they're dead." He stated with authority, eager to get back to the normal world.

"*sniff*…naruto-kun has grown so much…*sniff*"

"wow…that was amazing…I feel so…"

That day, the tiger learned that there can be humans that are more vicious and more ruthless than him in this world when he witnessed a single boy crush three of his own kind. He decided to look for something else to feast upon as he left the perimeter quietly, careful not to draw the attention of the heavily breathing and furious human boy. Today was just not his day.

 **Clearing**

'I get the feeling I just created a horrible image of myself…' the blonde crossed his arms and thought with a frown

 **'All I Said Was I Needed A Touch Not A Kiss!'** she bellowed in his head

'what?...i have a thing for red-heads…it's all your fault that I chase red-heads without a single thought about the consequences' he replied with mock anger. He had to wonder if she got a nosebleed from all this.

His expression went pro once more after he looked at the sleeping red-head.

'If you are done, I'd like an explanation later' he stated as he began to to walk away from the scene. He needed new clothes after all

 **Forest**

He continued to receive information from his soulmate about the new abilities his enhanced chakra system brought to him. He nodded when she finished and looked at a Genin team in a clearing. It seemed like they were arguing whether to open the scroll or not. They will have to do for his experiment. He jumped from his branch with a trajectory that would land him on the idiot with the scroll. Pumping chakra into his system, he felt his veins surge with power.

"O-HAAA" he shouted his greeting as he crushed the nin under his feet. Feeling the goo under his sandals, he scowled at the sight of crushed brains. Why was he continuing to look more like a monster?

As fun as it looked, it was one hell of a drain so he had to finish this fast. Hearing a shout, he turned to the other two closing in on him. A back-hand to the first and a kick to the groin for the second was his reply. The first's head spun on his shoulders and he dropped dead. The second's eyes filled with blood as he dropped and gasped for dear air. Not receiving any, he choked a painful death. It was for the best…his genitals were long gone with half the pleasures he would be able to experience in life. With that, Naruto nodded and began undressing the one with his head turned wrong. He looked the closest to his size and his dark colored pants and shirt were the best choice. It annoyed him somewhat when his muscle shirt was a size too big for him. It was a damn muscle shirt so why did it not fit him? He decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and knelt down and began his work.

'Shouldn't there be a limiter or something to this?' he thought as he stripped the man of his attire

 **'there is. You just didn't use it so don't put the blame on me. I told you, the more chakra you put into it, the more it will hurt. You just thought it would be fun to see it in maximum before trying it in minimum, you idiot. Now that we're merging, you don't have that monstrous reserve of chakra'** she retorted, completely aware of the blonde's intentions.

'Dammit…she knows!' he replied in mock surprise and started on the man's obsidian colored pants. He raised his head as he felt three more chakra in the vicinity.

"Oh…hi again" he greeted with the usual innocent smile  
the sound trio glared at him. They were having a nice, fun walk through the forest of death... and they were not amused at the sight of a boy covered in blood stripping a dead man, whose head was turned wrong, in the least. The position was the worst in this scene. His crotch was over the man's turned head and he was occupied with his pants. Was this some twisted sixty-nine position?

"This level of weirdness is too much for me. I'm out of here" the normal looking male walked away from the scene, followed by the rest. They had seen their master open a human while keeping him alive and that wasn't as weird as what they just witnessed. And why was one of the dead bodies holding his groin? They decided to stay far far away from the blonde boy.

Said blonde had to sweat-drop at that reaction. His image was plummeting insanely in less than an hour.

'Maybe I should have stayed asleep' he thought as he walked towards the nearby river to shower before he would switch into his new clothes. He sighed in content as he let the lukewarm water wash away the red stain. Seeing he had nothing to do, he decided to occupy himself.

'Red-head' he called but received no answer. His patience wasn't one to run out nor was his tolerance one to falter so he stayed quiet, awaiting the expected reaction of a tsundere red-head.

 **20 seconds later**

' **Dammit React Already!'** she screamed in annoyance

'to what? No action, therefore no reaction. It's not like I could come to you either. I don't think I can recover from a severed head'

 **'what do you want?'** annoyance resided in her tone as she replied

'why did you want to talk to your sibling?' he felt a fish hit his foot as he used his hands to rub out a deep stain on his torso. Blood was sticky indeed. He sighed as he laid back and let the river wash away the viscous liquid that showed his darker side.

 **'Because I needed to tell her what was happening to me. As usual, she was too crazy to respond normally…she did say she enjoyed this passionate kiss though'** Receiving his requested answer, he stood up and looked over at himself. Content with the nice and clean body, he turned around. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed another trio. Messing with her had taken his focus away, making him overlook the three chakra signatures.

A passing crow called for a female partner as he went by the vicinity. Not receiving one, he continued his calling, unknowingly making a certain situation seem more awkward…the most awkward it could possibly get.

 **'At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore'** she sighed as Naruto faced the man-beast, the red-skinned girl and mister sunglasses. He bit his lower lip as a blush adorned his face and as he covered his genitals with one hand and looked away, He used the other to cover his mouth.

"Please be gentle…it's my first time" he whispered in a shy tone. The result amused him to no end. The red girl fell and bled so much, it started to pool…which was indeed unhealthy if not dangerous. The man-beast pointed at him, unable to form a coherent sentence and his pet dog covered its eyes in what seemed like a face-palm. Mister sunglasses however seemed unfazed. He would get along with the boy if they were to work as a team one day.

"Dammit Naruto What Is Your Problem?!" the man-beast shouted, fuming with rage. "And look what you did to Hinata-chan. Say something Shino"

"I would rather not converse with a man previously covered in his own blood whom also massacred his own village ninja for a set of clothes" he replied as he took a cautious step back. Kiba was already over Hinata, looking at the pool of blood with wide eyes.

"Hmm…I didn't recognize them. Dead men aren't nearly as interesting as living ones and their reactions. Oh well. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" He shrugged and walked out of the river "I thought the water would wash away the stain but your bugs must be superb to be stronger than his nose." complimented the blonde, regaining his monotonous attitude and started to get into his new set of clothes.

"Your assumptions are wrong. We walked upstream simply because something turned the river red. There was so much blood that the stench was even in the air, Naruto-kun. Proof can also be found if one were to look at the red clothes you threw aside. And for your information, Kiba-kun smelled it first. He just didn't recognize it. Apparently, you killed them without a scratch…And I know that you killed three ninja because my bugs told me so." He paused and readjusted his glasses. "There are traces of your scent on them"

Naruto spared a glance at the man-beast who was trying to wake the bleeding girl up. He looked back at shino and narrowed his eyes. The bug tamer nodded in confirmation, the message clearly acknowledged and he walked towards his teammates, leaving the blonde to himself. Shino decided that he would have to reset and change the parameters he held of his former classmate.

'Well…I think I've ruined my image enough for today…time to head back'

He sighed at what awaited him back in the camp. He still had to explain the new attire after all. And the pink banshee's voice…god it was painful to listen to. 'Might as well take this and shove it into her mouth' he lazily put the scroll into his new pants' pocket and began his long walk back to camp.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Of Fortune and Misunderstandings**_

Walls must have crumbled when faced with such magnificence. Hearts must have trembled and tears must have been shed in recognition of its boundless power. Lives must have been sacrificed in order to hold such inexorable force at bay. Armies must have fallen in futile attempt to defeat this demonic power of unnatural origin. No single word can describe its caliber. It was simply something to fear and tremble before.

"What Do You Mean You Kissed a Guy, Killed A Genin Cell And Took Those Clothes Because They Were Cool?" the pink haired teen shouted with such force that the blonde could only stare with his mouth agape. His ears had shut down long ago as he couldn't hear the birds sing or the banshee scream anymore. All he could do was stare at her lips move about and her eyes twitch in what he could recognize as annoyance. Why was she doing this? Was it on purpose? Did she know that his body's defenses were weakening with every word she uttered? He couldn't make out the rest of her words as his brain shut down and his eyes rolled up in their sockets. He couldn't take it anymore. He fell back and became unconscious once more. That did not stop her though.

"Don't You Dare Try To Fake This Naruto! Get Up" she continued to shout at him. The response was something that would even make her twitch in surprise and stay quiet. The blonde began to convulse and shake violently, his body giving a response it normally would when an anomaly permeated its brain's defenses. The white haired guest of the group quickly started work as the boy's body started rejecting the fish it had previously eaten. Kabuto was honestly amazed at what her voice did to him. He could only chalk it down to the fact that his body was allergic to the certain frequency that Sakura's voice gave off…any other theory would seem more ridiculous than the problem itself and would result in mockery of common sense.

 **Mindscape**

He was lying down in his familiar haven and staring at the cloudless sky when he heard familiar footsteps.

"Will I be coming here every time I lose consciousness?" he asked dryly, hand swaying and eyes looking at anything but the recipient of the sentence. It seems his habit had evolved somewhat. This did not please the red-head at all.

 **"What? You don't like spending time with a nude beauty?"** she growled the last part and got on her knees. She winked at him and it seems it worked as it forced him to look away. Smiling, she moved towards him on all fours. She stopped on top of the blonde and started to nibble on his neck, clawed hands touching every part they could feel from his chest. She looked up and smiled in victory when she saw the heavy blush on his face.

 **"Haha. So you are human."** She stated triumphantly, nude chest puffed in pride.

'Gaara-chan…will you like it if I did this to you too? Will you feel as good as me?' he thought distantly.

 **"Don't Think About A Guy When A Hot Girl Is All Over You!"** she shouted in disbelief and annoyance. It was really becoming hard to tell when he was joking and when he was serious.

"So what's the problem?" he stated, instantly killing the mood. He had his share of amusement so now it was time to get serious and find out why he just went into shock.

 **"Hmph…and why would I tell you?"** she crossed her arms and sat down on his lower part on purpose, hoping to draw a reaction, be it verbal or physical. All she felt was Naruto sit up and lean on his hands as he stared at her.

"I'm sorry I kissed someone else" he whispered as he leaned forward and pecked her lips "but don't worry" he kissed her nose this time "you were my first" he kissed her cheek "and my best" he whispered with a longing tone as he nibbled on her ear lobe, drawing a gasp from her. How was he so good at this? He hadn't even practiced on anyone and she had witnessed everything.

 **"F-fine…I guess I can forgive you this once"** she managed to blurt out without much stuttering. The greatest bijuu in existence was but a mere kitten at the mercy of Naruto's professional seduction techniques.

"So what's wrong?"

 **"How can you switch so easily between hot guy and dead guy?"** she asked as she shook him by the shoulders, disbelief evident in her eyes.

"I just have a knack for it. Whenever I imagine the other person's reaction, I can't help myself. I do everything with a motivation and I guess yours is my favorite if I can do it so naturally" he stated with his new form of habit flaring.

 **"How can you play with people's feelings like that Naruto?"**

'I just don't care as long as the result does not bother me. Since it amuses me, I do it. Now, what's the problem?' he thought, clearly not feeling like talking anymore as he closed his eyes and lied down. It would seem he had his fill of amusement for the time being. Seeing the opportunity, she lied down on the blonde's chest and started to caress the whiskers that adorned his face.

She almost wished he looked like this in the real world also. In this world, the aged Naruto looked much more appealing to her than the one in the real world. Masculine, scarred all over and her favorite, touchable. She didn't physically exist anymore after all…

 **"Remember how I said you don't have your enormous chakra reserves anymore? Well, since a certain someone messed with the seal, our chakras are separate now and since yours noticed the lack of its usual capacity after that stunt you pulled, your body is currently readjusting itself to what you currently have. You practically drained yourself dry. You may have enhanced control over your chakra, but manipulating it to your will is going to be a bit difficult with the seal so messed up. And since you never seriously trained on increasing your reserves…"** she left the rest unsaid as it was clear as day to both of them what was going on.

'What about your chakra…where is it going?' he thought to her, the only sign of his life being his steadily moving chest. There was clearly no limit to his desultory attitude.

 **"oh nothing…just slowly leaking out"** she stopped playing with his whisker marks when he rolled over and got on top of her, hands tightly holding her wrists, serious blue eyes gazing into hers as clouds began to appear in the sky.

"And what happens when there's no more chakra to be leaked out?" he asked with that tone of authority she loved. She had seen him use it twice only, and both times it was on her and for her. The first time he did it to make sure she doesn't blame herself and now he was using it to make sure she answers seriously. She couldn't help but moan through closed lips as the blonde's eyes bore deep into her. She loved the way he cared for him. He would even defeat herself to help her if he had to, his blunt actions being the clear sign.

 **"I'm so glad I'm falling for you, Naruto-kun"**

Thunder crackled in the sky as his eyes widened in realization. She was slowly disappearing and that was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was stare back at her as she smiled sweetly at him. He felt his chest tighten and his eyes mist over as she continued to smile at him. It was so painful to exist right now that he just wanted everything to disappear.

Before he could say more, void swallowed him, granting his wish and sent him spiraling back into the world. The person who interrupted him would pay hell for this someday.

 **Forest Clearing**

He dodged a pair of lips that aimed for his as he tilted his head and the other person ended up kissing the ground. The bundle of white hair that had managed to land itself next to him got up quickly as he felt the blonde growl under his breath in annoyance. This guy will get the beating of his lifetime one day. He promised if they ever fought, he'd make him pay for dragging him out.

"Morning Naruto-kun. You gave us a bit of a scare there. I thought I had to resuscitate you or something" he tried to explain hurriedly before he got the notion wrong.

"Did you bother checking for my heartbeat?" he deadpanned the white haired male

"Have some decency and thank him Naruto. He was the first to be all over you when you started shaking like that"

"and whose fault do you think that was?" he deadpanned her also. He looked expectantly at sasuke, hoping to keep his deadpan streak alive. He smiled when the boy threw him a fish-on-a-stick.

"See? That's how you connect" he said before starting to work on his fish.

"Narut-"she was silenced by a scroll that was thrown at her. Nodding to himself in victory, he resumed chomping down the fish.

"Let's get to the tower already. I can't wait to get rid of the guy who tried to abuse my pure lips" he just couldn't help himself. He had to draw one out of him before he left their group. No one hangs around him and gets away without amusing him.

"I Was Just Helping You Out" he cried back, trying to save his dignity. The blonde burned this image into his memory and turned around.

'Worth it' he nodded to himself as he grabbed the scroll sakura threw at him and threw it back at her, hitting her in the head.

"Ah…sorry…I did it with full power when I reflexed. You okay?" he asked as he kept walking towards the tower, hand swaying in front of his face.

"How Can You Do It in full power If It's A Reflex?" she shouted back, hair wavering from the heat her anger was radiating.

'Is this really the correct team I was supposed to observe?' the white haired nin thought to himself as he watched the event unfold. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see sasuke shaking his head.

"The more you look at them, the more you get sucked into it so just ignore it"

 **Tower entrance**

The four-man cell faced a three-man cell of nins with mask covering their faces, whom had obstructed their path to the tower much to a certain someone's annoyance. Said person was twitching his fingers in anticipation of the kill. The reason he couldn't crush them and get this over with was simple. He just couldn't. His soulmate had informed him of his low reserves and that if he tried his previous stunt, he would blackout from chakra exhaustion after the first punch. Such circumstances led him to doing what he never wanted to do.

"I kissed a demon, killed my own village nin and am currently wearing the attire of one of said nin. Let me through and I'll spare your lives" he stated with a serious face, thumb pointing at himself. He scowled in annoyance when the three obstacles snickered at his remarks. Were they underestimating him? And why was it so damn annoying? It did not anger him as much in the past as it did now. Maybe it was the messed up seal or maybe it was his recent annoying separation. Whatever the reason, he really needed to hit something.

"Hah. You're a nice team, I'll give you that. But if you're not planning on handing your scrolls over, then…" all three went through handseals and two dozen clones rose from the mud, aiming kunai at them, waiting for an order from their makers.

"Dammit Naruto, look what you did" Sakura whispered in anger. The blonde turned to her in annoyance and scowled at her remark.

"I'm still thinking of handing you over as a peace treaty you know" he retorted with a serious tone. His face didn't show any signs of joking either. This caused her to take a step back. He wouldn't do that would he? He had a crush on her right? So why was he acting like this? Ever since the snake-man incident…

"Attack!"

All four tensed at the order shouted and turned to the mini-army of clones. Naruto proceeded to create five clones of his own and ordered his counterattack. At first he was surprised at the number since he had aimed for four but left it for later to think about. He turned to sasuke and stared at his curse-mark. It was reacting to sasuke's anticipation. Looks like he had to do this on his own this time.

"All three of you, hide. Sakura I swear if I hear you utter a syllable, I'll kill you myself"

"But-"

*Clang*

the sound of blade hitting blade echoed as the white haired nin countered naruto's shuriken with a kunai. Did he just try to kill her?

Everyone stared at him in disbelief. His cold gaze didn't falter as she started trembling in fear. Even sasuke was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Kabuki, drag her away before I do it with my hands next time" he growled and turned back to the battlefield, watching his clones try to hold the army at bay. The mud clones were slower in comparison to his shadow clones which gave them a great edge in avoiding and countering. But that wasn't enough to hold them all at bay. They were hard to dispel also since they were made of mud unlike his own shadow clones.

"The name's kabuto" he whispered in annoyance as he dragged the shocked pinkette away, followed shortly by the raven haired boy.

He stared at the battlefield, eyes wandering for the three main bodies to decimate and finish this quickly. One shot was all he needed. He wasn't as forgiving as before to end a fight with just beating the enemy up a little. Noting less than annihilation for any opposition was acceptable to him. He could use a certain sharingan right now. With its help, he could locate the slightest movement and seeing as how the mud clones were slower than their makers, he could use the famed doujutsu to find them. He created another seven and ordered them to provide long range backup with their shuriken and kunai and to help in close quarter combat after they were done. He cursed under his breath as he realized his chakra control was out of control. He wanted eight not seven. As the seven doppelgangers nodded and entered the fight, he carefully created another clone and ordered him to take his place and give orders while he went around. He was glad he didn't create a failure and embarrass himself. He jumped back into the bushes and sat next to his male companion.

"Sorry for putting you all through that but I needed to give off the image that I'm the cocky type of guy who handles things on his own" 'Not that I don't mind being like that…' "Sasuke, Find them with your sharingan. The mud clones are slower than the originals" he ordered, not taking his eyes off the battlefield. Sasuke nodded and used his sharingan. It didn't take more than five seconds before his curse mark flared and caused him to shiver in pain.

"I found them" he whispered "a rustling behind those bushes next to that old tree"

he received a pat from Naruto and nodded. The blonde turned to his female companion and crawled towards her on all fours. She stole her gaze and looked away with a frown.

"Sakura….chan" he whispered before he put his lips on hers, drawing three shocked faces. She was too shocked at this point to do anything and stared with wide eyes as the blonde pulled away with a blush. She couldn't believe this boy whom only recently had a crush on her try to kill her and now stole her first kiss.

"I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you later…and nice haircut" he smiled honestly before creating a single shadow clone. He ordered him to watch over them and disappeared into the trees.

 **Forest, elsewhere**

He stared at the three nin that stalled his advance from his tree branch, fingers once more twitching in anticipation. How would he do it without looking like a monster? He surely couldn't squash their brains out or turn their heads around. He tried asking her soulmate for any advice but all he got was a very very angry growl. If only he had something like a sword or an axe to cleave them in one hit…Ah fate…such a cruel mistress. He settled for a kunai to the neck as he drew two of said item silently and awaited his chance.

"He doesn't have a chance in hell" he heard one of them whisper, ears twitching in focus and a little annoyance. 'They're having their last moments, might as well let them enjoy it' he thought to himself.

"Yeah right. He was just confident in his cloning skills. His skills are good, I'll give him that but we've got enough to do this till tomorrow" another stated, causing a certain blond to grimace in anger.

"Can't we just kill him already?" the third voiced his question, causing him to go back into his poker-face mode. At least one of them was thinking like a ninja. He'll be spared the pain. The one that underestimated him though…

"Let's see…" they all took a peek at the battlefield and noticed how efficiently the clones were holding their grounds. It was a stalemate unless something were to happen and turn the tide of the battle. The seven clones on the trees were a real pain as they provided backup and the five on ground didn't give their own mud clones any chance to focus on the other seven. It was a simple but efficient strategy, considering how reckless the shadow clones' style of fighting was. It left many openings but as soon as the mud clones wanted to use the chance, they had to dodge a kunai or shuriken that was thrown at them. It was annoying to say the least.

"Okay guys. Let's turn the tables on that idiot" he ordered with a tone of amusement. Receiving no answer, he turned to see his companions on the ground with kunai impaled into their necks, the masks covering their shocked faces as they failed to process what had happened. He turned around to see a certain blonde with a smile on his face that didn't quite fit the situation. It was innocent and sweet, like a child smiling at his friend. Yet the coldness in his blue eyes told a different tale of what was to come.

"I see…I don't have a chance in hell eh?" he grabbed the scared nin by the neck and his smile turned to a scowl.

"I'd like to play a game if you don't mind" he whispered as he laid the nin on the ground and sat on top of him, his knees pushing down on his arms to stop his future futile struggles.

"Let's see how long you last" was his monotonous whisper as he punched him hard in the face, drawing a cry of pain from the nin.

"Please, stop. You can't kill me! I'm just a genin like you. This isn't even a battle, it's just a shitty test!" he cried, surprised at the boy's actions. He never thought he would die so soon in life. This wasn't what was expected of a teenager who wasn't even sixteen yet. His words fell on deaf ears as the blonde gave a wink.

"Hang in there, okay?" he asked sweetly as if telling a little boy to stay strong on his first day of school.

As soon as the words left his mouth, his fists rained down on the helpless nin .He struggled and shook under him, trying desperately to break free and run from this bloodthirsty animal. He felt the world darken as the fists continues to smash his eyes, nose and teeth deeper into his skull.

"Eight nine ten eleven" he continued to count as he punched the nin's face in. his mask was all that kept the gory scene hidden. Blood had begun to pool under his head now. The blonde's fists ached in pain as he continued to punch away, each punch sending a vibe of satisfaction up his spine. So this is what his soulmate meant about the blood on his persona. It was so delicious. He stopped at forty eight when he noticed there was nothing else to punch as he had once more, scattered someone's brains out. He realized he was grinning madly when he saw his reflection in the puddle of blood and grimaced as he hid his face with his bloody hands. The smell resonated in his nostrils and he couldn't help but suck in the blood-scented air sharply, relishing the tainted odor.

'How could I let this happen…' he thought to himself, melancholy clearly evident in his sad smile. It was like a child that had stolen a cookie. Satisfied at first with the taste, ridden with guilt at the consequence. He had enjoyed venting his unconscious anger on the poor nin but now he felt that he didn't deserve to die like this. He decided to leave it at that and face it at a later time. He sensed his teammates begin to move when the clones died away. Dispelling his own clones, he was hit with a rush of memories from the one he left with his teammates. Apparently, they were all cautious of him now. They dismissed the fact that his clone was there, believing he would disappear eventually and the creator wouldn't know any of this. On the contrary, he could remember all their comments. The Kabuki guy thought he was a little loose in the head. He'll have to pay later for that. Sakura was speechless and all she could do was nod at kabuki's comments. No surprise there. Sasuke on the other hand had been glaring at the clone constantly as if Naruto himself was there. What was his problem? Wiping his hands with the nin's shirt, he moved to greet his teammates. He could use this if such a thing happened with every clone…

He met with his companions in the ex-battlefield, now filled with puddles of mud, the remnants of the clones his own doubles were fighting. He waved his hands and didn't respond when asked what had happened. He persuaded them that it was a scene best left unseen, earning another glare from a certain raven hair  
"okay kabunobu, the journey ends here. Go find your buddies" he ordered, hands moving unconsciously in the familiar movement.

"kabuto…" he grumbled before smiling brightly

"Thanks a lot you guys. I'd have been a sitting duck for others if you didn't help me out. I hope I can make it up to you someday"

he hugged all three and left to find his own teammates. He sure knew how to say brief goodbyes. Team seven proceeded to enter the tower and opened both scrolls, summoning a green-clad ninja with the biggest eyebrows they had seen. Was it a trend?...

"YOUTH BURNS BRIGHTLY WITHIN YOU IF YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR. CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT, YOU THREE" the man shouted excitedly, giving them a thumbs up and a grin that shined too brightly for everyone's liking

'I don't even care anymore' thought sasuke, shaking his head. Why was his village filled with so many freaks?

'Uh great…I lost my hair…I lost my first kiss…and now this guy looks like he'll make me lose something else' thought the female

'I picked the wrong fucking scroll' the blonde facepalmed as he glared at the man with narrowed eyes. Was he a magnet for loud people beside red-heads? He really needed a break

"we all had a lot to go through so can we take a break or something?" he asked with a hopeful smile. He really needed to have a long and hard talk with his soulmate and this stupid forest kept interrupting him with one thing or another.

"OF COURSE YOU CAN! YOU ARE ONE DAY EARLY SO REST TO YOUR HEART'S DELIGHT" he shouted back with…excitement? What the hell?

"UOOOOH! GUY-SENSEEEEEEEI" another equally loud voice echoed before a mini version of the man crashed through the entrance, hugging the man in a heartbeat. He was very very fast for very very wrong reasons…

'This cannot be happening' thought Naruto as he fell on his knees and clutched his ears with a look that said he was about to cry.

He turned around to run out of the tower but was met with a group of genin that had made it together. Much to his surprise, everyone stole their glances as soon as they noticed him. Shikamaru and chouji ran past him avoiding him completely. Ino looked at him with a determined look

"I will Figure you out Naruto! You will not escape my analyzing eyes again" she stated before moving along. The sand trio paused a moment before circling him and moving along. 'That could be expected I guess' he thought as he noticed gaara was avoiding eye contact. Two others who seemed to be the green-clad boy's teammates also gave him weird looks before passing by him. All he could do as so many passed him was stare back confusedly. He could understand the sand trio's reaction but everyone else's…

'the hell?'

 **Tower – Naruto's Room**

He made sure to lock the door properly before getting into the shower. As the warm water hit his forehead, he let out a sigh of content and began to rub his body with a soap. Taking it easy like this felt good, especially after all that happened starting with the snake freak. Why was his attitude turned upside down? What was happening to his chakra? It was out of control but enhanced? And kyuubi…

he wrapped a towel around himself and exited the shower and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Things had to change alright. Forehead protector no more. He'd rather have it as an armband. What was wrong with his eyes? They were half open like he was barely awake. He wasn't that disaffected, was he? He could remember the shine in his eyes every morning before he went out but now it looked barely alive.

He shook his head and moved away from the mirror. He lied down on his bed and sighed once more in content. Truly he needed a break. A well-earned one too.

*knock knock*

what was that horrible sound keeping him away from his much needed rest? It was one in the morning too. Were they starting the exams early? He got up and put his obsidian pants on quickly and reached for the door.

"Who is it?"

Hearing his companion's voice, he began unlocking the door and opened it. He stared at his companion for a few moments and smiled.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? And shouldn't you be in bed with sasuke right-"

*Thwack*

"Sheesh. Have the decency to let a girl in at least" she growled as she sat on his bed and crossed her arms. For some reason, he found himself smiling at the action even though his head was throbbing from the punch. He closed the door, dragged a chair from the corner and sat in front of her. "Can I have my shirt? It's behind you" he asked as nicely as he could. She threw it into his face and he put it on while grumbling something about tsundere without the dere part.

"So how can I help you at one in the morning sakura…" he smiled playfully "Chan?" he finished with a wink, earning a blush and a pillow to the face. Yep. She definitely reminded him of someone. Someone he needed to see right away. He looked away in thought when he remembered his soulmate.

"Did I come at a bad time?" she asked when she saw him look away in…pain? Or was it sadness? He had become so unreadable recently.

"Of course it is a bad time. It's horrible for a girl to meet a boy at one in the morning in his room" he deadpanned, still looking away

"W-well first of all, technically this isn't your room and second…" she looked away in embarrassment. He couldn't play this game right now so he decided to finish it as soon as he could.

"Whatever it was, I'm sure it was important that you had to come at such an hour Sakura. What is it?" he asked seriously. He wasn't feeling very amicable right now and what she had to say had better be important.

"I wanted to know what's wrong with you Naruto. You've changed. A lot. It's like I don't even know you anymore" that question seemed to hit a button in him because he felt something well up within him. She needed to be taught a lesson in reality.

"Like you don't even know me anymore?" he asked as he stood up "And what did you know about me, Haruno?" he began to approach her and pushed her back on his bed before getting on top of her, cold blue eyes staring into her green eyes that had begun to mist over. "You think you know shit about me haruno? Well you don't. I hate weakness. It sickens me to death. And you…you're the embodiment of weakness to me. Every time I look at you, I feel my stomach turn" she began to sob and looked away as he continued. It was too painful to listen to him talk down to her like that. Her mind was blank at this point and all she could do was sob as to alleviate the pain in her chest somewhat.

"But…" he caressed her wet cheek and smiled brightly "But I'd like to believe that you can change that sakura"

her face turned at that remark. She looked at him with disbelief. Seeing her reaction, he pulled her into a kiss that seemed to last hours for the girl before he parted. It felt so good. Unlike his cold attitude, his lips were so warm and gentle even though they were dry and it hurt a little.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan…for taking care of me back in the forest when I was unconscious. I'll repay you one day" he whispered as he caressed her cheek again and this time, she leaned her head into his hand. Amused at the sight, he let a chuckle escape his lips before getting off of her, much to her chagrin. She actually enjoyed being cared for like that even though she didn't show it normally.

"It is getting late Haruno. You should go back to your room" he looked back when he didn't get an answer. She was trembling?

"I…I can't move my legs, Naruto…I can barely feel them…" she whispered shyly. Seeing as he had no other choice since it was his fault she was paralyzed with emotions, he carried her bridal style, drawing a small gasp from her due to his quick action. "W-what are you doing?" she asked in disbelief. How could he be so bold? He switched characters so quickly, it made her a bit drowsy.

"What's your room number?" he asked as he moved out of his room and closed the door with his leg.

He followed her instruction to the other side of the tower and put her down when they reached her room. He bid her goodnight and turned around, eager for much needed sleep. He had barely passed three rooms when he was met with another blonde. He sighed in defeat when she looked at him with a blush on her face. Clearly, fate had other plans in mind for the jinchuriki

"You know, I think I like you better with your pigtails and your fan" he sighed and began to move past her but she stood in her path. Grumbling to himself, he waited for her to talk.

"A..are you into boys?" she stuttered, much to naruto's disbelief. She didn't give that kind of vibe off…then again, he was a freak who brought out the freak in people so it must've been normal.

"I swing both ways. If I find you interesting, I'll show it by…" he licked his lips as a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes "doing what you least expect" she gasped at that and ran into her room, locking the door shut.

'Hmm…bunny pajamas…not bad' he thought to himself as he resumed his long walk.

Once more, he was interrupted and almost lost control of his anger before realizing he didn't know this girl. She wore a yellow pajama with swirl marks on it which interested the blonde in her.

"Y-You!" she stated with shock, pointing at him in…disbelief? What was her problem?

"Did I do something to earn that, miss? I don't even know you" he replied dryly, annoyed with her reaction at the sight of him. Was he a monster? Well, he was in some ways but this was clearly unfair treatment.

He took a step forward and she got into a battle stance which drew a scowl from the blonde. He had low tolerance these days and for some reason, that change had turned him into a magnet that attracted freaky events. Too annoyed and too tired to think straight, he threw a punch which she easily intercepted and threw him to the floor, grabbing his wrists and sitting on his chest. He was awestruck to say the least. This had unfolded into an uncomfortable situation for him as he was usually the one on top. All he could do was stare into her chocolate brown eyes as she narrowed her eyes at him with a familiar blush on her face. His face also felt hot. Was he blushing too?

"A-are you into boys…" Naruto blinked before giving her his name "N-naruto?" she finished, stuttering the name. He regained his composure and in a sudden motion, he used his legs for momentum as he flipped her down and got into his preferred position.

"I swing both ways…" she recovered from the shock and looked at him with an angry scowl before giving him her name "tenten…chan" she squealed lowly at the suffix he used and struggled under him but his grip was firm and hard.

"I want you to know…" he whispered into her ear, causing her to go into shock and stop breathing "that I like you ten-chan" he could clearly see her ear turn red in the dark, her body radiating a wave of heat "I've never been pinned down by a girl before so I hope you can appreciate the feelings I've developed for you and try to become stronger for me, so that you may pin me down once more…" he dared to caress her ear with his nose gently, drawing a gasp from her "so that I may enjoy your company, ten-chan"

the next thing he knew, he was stuck in a hole in the wall and she had disappeared like a leaf in the wind. He chuckled as he pulled himself out and wiped the dust and rubble off of himself before continuing the walk towards his room. Meanwhile, a certain platinum blonde had witnessed all his actions, from walking with sakura in his arms to the point he was thrown into the wall by the brunette. She nodded to herself in renewed determination as she returned to her room.

 **Mindscape**

" **You seem to enjoy this position, don't you?"**

She was once more, on the blonde whom was leaning on a wall and using his knees as something for the red-head to lean on. She was looking away with her arms crossed and a faint blush on her face. He liked seeing her blush. He ran his fingers through her hair and started scratching away and smiled playfully when she held his wrists and guided his hands to scratch the right spots.

"You're a good girl aren't you?" he whispered drawing a chuckle out of her as he scratched behind her ears and neck, watching in amusement as she let go of his hands and gasped at the blissful feeling. The friction his fingers caused on her skin sent small pulses of delicious satisfaction down her spine as she started drooling and fell face first into his chest, sighing in content. 'I must have magic fingers or something' he thought to himself as he started to massage her shoulders.

 **"Don't get cocky, human. I'm just not used to this sort of treatment, that's why I'm so vulnerable"** she deadpanned, making him chuckle evilly. What was he thinking time time?

"okay…I get it…if my fingers are normal than I guess you can scratch your own head from now on"

all he got as an answer was her hands which put his own hands on her head and moved them in a motion that looked a lot like scratching.

 **"Stupid human…"** she muttered to herself while enjoying having her head played with. Naruto couldn't help but notice that he had helped in making her already messy hair look even messier, to the point it looked spiky.

"How come a hot girl –as you put it- like you has short hair and normal proportions anyway, Demon? I thought demons were supposed to be extremely hot mistresses who were so beautiful a small glance could make you fall for them head over heels" he asked with a tone of curiosity, causing her to growl as she clawed his chest angrily.

 **"Shut the hell up and do your thing"** she pointed at his hands which were currently tidying her short crimson hair

'so…tell me more about the changes…please don't leave anything out' clouds appeared again in his mindscape but they were white and fluffy this time, unlike the black ones from before.

 **"What's there to say, Naruto…you need to find an expert in seals to help you with your problem in chakra control"** as if reading his mind, she shook her head **"No, I don't think you can stop the leaking…it's permanent"  
**

"keep talking…" he ordered as he started scratching the back of her neck.

 **"Talk about what?"** she asked as she looked at him and started playing with his whisker marks. She saw concern in his eyes and smiled unconsciously, enjoying the bubbly feeling in her stomach at the sight of his concerned lover.

"Then tell me about you…tell me about how much time I have left with you…just keep talking, okay?" he asked and leaned into her hands, closing his eyes to further enjoy the feeling her soft hands brought him.

 **"Look at you…all concerned and worried about the mightiest bijuu in existence…of course I'll be around for a while you idiot. And myself…well I, at some points in time, was cherished and worshipped and at other and more recent times, I was used as a political weapon. Not much to talk about I guess"** she finished the last part in a low whisper. Not liking the sound of that, Naruto hit her forehead with his own and stared into her eyes, blue eyes misting over and exploring her blood red ones.

"Don't sound so gloomy you idiot" he kissed her and she wrapped her hands around him, closing the space between them as she pushed deeper into the kiss and finally let go when Naruto grabbed the hair on the back of her head.

"I can feel your pain, soulmate. Don't be like this or I'll stop scratching your head" he whispered with a sad tone

 **"you make the stupidest threats…soulmate"** she whispered back, closing her eyes and leaning forward

what she kissed was not quite what she expected…the wall Naruto was leaning on. Where'd he go?

Thunder came to life in the sky as her short red hair wavered dangerously. Clearly, hell is about to be unleashed.

 **Naruto's room**

Killer intent filled the room to the point it was hard to breathe as Naruto laid eyes on the person who had interrupted his intimate moment with his soulmate. He gritted his teeth in vehement anger as he pulled himself out of the sand that had covered him and approached the boy who was now blushing and slowly backing away.

"You…" he growled ferociously, further intimidating the boy. The red-head hit a wall that signaled his lack of space to back into and he stared back into murderous eyes that were inches away from his own.

"I sincerely hope that you have a life or death reason for waking me up, Gaara-kun" he whispered with a dangerous monotonous tone that promised unbearable pain if the red-head didn't choose his next words correctly.

"M-mother needed to see you again…and so did I" he replied, looking down at Naruto's feet. The blonde threw the red-head on his bed and got on top of him.  
'I really need to stop doing this to everyone who enters my room…' he thought to himself as he held Gaara's wrists firmly. It would seems as though he was developing an unconscious habit for doing this…

"Well then…take me to your mother" he growled under his breath. Gaara raised his head and captured Naruto's lips in an amateurish make-out. Naruto, feeling amused at his attempt, guided his lips with his own. As this continued, the boys began to feel lightheaded and lost consciousness with Naruto lying on top of Gaara. This would be a scene to behold if one were to enter the room without knowing what had happened beforehand…

 **Mindscape**

"I knew it" the blonde stated as he rubbed his eyes in frustration of what was to come. The red-head next to him hit him in the ribs with an elbow as a means of shutting the blonde up.

 **"We're not all like that, human! She's just an exception"** she retorted, barely having any faith in her own words.

They were currently in a barren desert under the red moonless sky that made it seem like a hellish scene one would see in a strong genjutsu. In front of them stood another nude beauty, similar to his soulmate. This one had long yellow hair and massive proportions in contrast to his own prisoner. He earned a punch to his arm as he nodded in awe of her bust, causing her to growl angrily. She was making a castle out of the sand before she noticed the duo and ran over to them, crushing the castle absentmindedly.

 **"Awww…hello kurukyuun. I missed you so~ooo much"** she giggled as she hugged her demonic sister. The present male could not help but let out a small chuckle as he found the intimate nickname extremely amusing. What amused him further was the sight of the bustier nude hugging the less…womanly nude. It clearly showed the demons' difference in feminine charm. The busty blonde turned to him and started analyzing him as she looked at him from head to toe.

 **"Mmm…kurukyuun…your host's persona is really something else"** she growled as she started to walk circles around him, checking every detail. **"Mine is just a lost little boy that I can control and make him do as I please as soon as he loses consciousness…but yours…"** she threw a fist at the male and as it connected, Naruto was sent flying through the barren desert. He skidded to a halt, raising dust clouds in its wake. 'So this is what kurukyuun meant when she said her sister's crazy' he thought to himself, using the nickname on purpose.

 **'There's no limit to what can be done here Rutokyuun. Best of luck'** was her reply as he heard her thoughts. He finally stood up when he felt a familiar presence approach him and rubbed his sore jaw.

 **"Well? Do you dare raise your hand on the fabulous beauty that is me, Rutokyuun?"** she whispered seductively, making the male grimace in annoyance. 'I guess they're sisters in the head if not in the body…' he thought as he shook his head.

"No my dear ferocious raccoon. I absolutely do not give a fuck" he replied monotonously, punching her square in the face with a chakra enhanced fist.

'So that's what it looked like' he thought to himself as he witnessed the other blonde repeat a fall much like his own. Feeling very playful at the moment, he ran after her, eager to test his new power on an almighty being. Seeing the male rush towards her, she pounced off the ground and headed towards the other blonde. Grinning widely, they started to punch each other relentlessly.

 **"Ahh…Rutokyuun…you'll break me if you keep hitting me like this"** she cooed seductively as she delivered a punch to his stomach, causing him to double over. She grabbed his spiky blonde hair and hit him in the face with her knee, moaning as she did so. Seeing the opportunity, Naruto grabbed her by the thigh and pushed her to the ground. Getting in his familiar position with his knees on her arms, he smiled evilly as she growled when her struggle proved futile. For a few seconds, Naruto seemed to deliberate what to do when he tilted his head as he stared at her. A lick to the lips signaled the end of his musings.

"Shukyuun" he whispered slowly, stressing the syllables and feeling her face in the palm of his hands. "Can I do whatever I want to you, Shukyuun?" he asked with a longing tone, clutching her wild yellow hair in with his fingers. She moaned loudly at that and licked her lips slowly, glistening every part of them. **"Will it hurt, rutokyuun?"** she whispered back as she squirmed under him, her thighs rubbing together unconsciously. She tried to further incentivize his motives by biting what part of his thigh she could reach…and it sent very animalistic pulses up his spine

 **"What the hell are you doing to my sister, Human?"** the red-head asked from behind, anger evident in her voice.

 **"Not now, kurukyuun. We were just getting to the good part"** she winked at Naruto as she let her bust rub the bulge on his groin. Seeing her dirty move, she pushed Naruto aside and wrapped her arms around his waist protectively. Ignoring the mass pushing against her smaller bust, she shouted back at her sister **"He's mine okay? Why don't you go find your own sick twisted host?"  
**

'I'll take that as a compliment…' he thought to himself as he started to scratch the red-head's hair in appreciation.

She purred in delight at the intimate show of affection and stuck her tongue out at the busty blonde. Not liking how it was turning out, she went behind Naruto and pulled him into a hug, pushing her bust against his back on purpose. **"Be nice to me too, rutokyuun…I haven't done anything fun in a loo~oong time"** she cooed sweetly, rubbing her cheek against his whisker marks. She was caught by surprise as his hand clutched her hair and his lips forcefully took hers. She moaned through closed lips as his grip grew stronger, sending shivers of pain and satisfaction into her body, making her stomach squirm in delicious euphoria as the kiss grew more intense. She grabbed his arm and chest tightly as her tongue invaded his mouth, exploring it and playing with his tongue as she did so. Another hand drew her away from her dreamy make-out session as the red-head pushed her away and threw Naruto to the ground, making him lie flat and sat on his privates.

 **"You're supposed to be mine, remember?"** she chided as she held his face in her hands, fingers caressing his whisker marks. He shut his eyes and groaned when she started moving her hips in a slow, circular motion. He felt something big coming as she pushed down harder on his sensitive member.

 **"Hey! What happened to sharing things between sisters?"** the blonde intervened as she pushed her aside, falling on top of her.

 **"Get off me you idiot. He's mine and you can't have any of him!"** She shouted as she struggled under her cleavage. It was getting a bit hard to breathe.

 **"Aa? Where is he?"** she asked with a clueless look on her face. **"Kurukyuun?"** she asked, realizing the red-head was under her no more.

 **Naruto's room**

"What do you want Kaburagi?" he asked with an annoyed tone as he got off the red-head sleeping under him. He yawned and stretched his back, signaling the start of his morning routine. He took his shirt off and the white-head's face grew more shocked at the brazen act. "I'm going to take a shower. Would you like to join me, kabumaru?" he asked with a wink. The older boy rushed out of the room, muttering incoherent words as he escaped the scene. 'Dammit! I just wanted to say thanks and check up on him! What was that weird development?!' he thought as he ran back to his room. 'That boy…he's not safe to be around' he nodded to himself as he locked his door.

 **Later that day – Main Hall**

A man with a coughing habit was explaining the rules of the preliminary. Much to his and other jounins' chagrin, most of the genin were staring at a half-awake blonde and did not care much about the hokage and the jounin instructor's words.

"And so, anyone not willing to take part in the preliminary, please raise your hand and you will be excused and may try again next year"  
two hands were raised at that, both belonging to konoha nin.

"Kabuto Yakushi, Sir. I'd like to try again next year. I'm in no condition to fight" he smiled as he explained and turned around to leave. Sparing a glance at the other hand, he couldn't help but feel like he had seen that color on the hand's sleeve somewhere before.

"Uzumaki Naruto. I quit because I have lost interest and find it very bothering to participate any further in the exam" the statement sent a ripple of shock through the people present. The facial expressions differed from each person.

"NARUTO-KUUUN" Lee shouted after the blonde walking away. His response was a thumbs up and a wide grin that caused him to shout long rants about youth. 'Well that should take care of him' he thought as his face contorted from a grin to a scowl. 'Better get out before anyone else tries to intervene'

Increasing his pace, he quickly passed by the confused, shocked and concerned looks that were aimed at him. He'd like to appreciate all the concern but inside, he only cared about one thing at the moment. **  
**

"I need something normal" he grumbled as he made his way out of the crowd towards the exit

 **Hotsprings**

A single man with long white hair and a spyglass hid professionally and used his tool to lay eyes upon creatures of beauty and elegance. He wrote a note in his book as two of such creatures began to hug each other for whatever reason in the steaming hot spring. The sight of lascivious busts rubbing against each other sent a current down the man's spine, causing him to giggle once more. A few meters away, a lone blonde stood calmly, watching the scene unfold. At first, he tried to remain calm and think about this rationally. Not everyone around him had a few screws loose. This guy wasn't even one of the people around him. He was just here for a relaxing break and the first thing he sees an hour after walking away from the forest of death is this godforsaken creature. Seeing no other options, he settled for _old pervert trying to relive his days of yout…his younger days._ he shivered as he almost thought about the forbidden word

 **Elsewhere**

"UUUUOOOOOOOOOOO! GUY-SENSEI!"

"I FELT IT TOO MY PUPIL!"

"Please keep quiet. The preliminary is still going on"

 **Hotsprings**

'I clearly heard all that crap' the blonde thought, shaking his head and walking towards the old man. He tried poking him with a stick. Much to his dismay, he did not budge. He tried to poke his face like he once did to sakura but even that didn't work as the old man's drool hung from his chin. Seriously…he really had a magnet in him somewhere for these people.

Another giggle from the old man put a tick mark on the blonde's normally calm face. 'He's going down' he thought to himself as he filled his fist with chakra.

 **'I should really stop you…but I won't. Have at it, soulmate!'** she cheered the boy on. Instincts going crazy, the man hurriedly looked back to see a blue fist descend towards his face

 **Hokage Tower**

"Hokage-sama! There was an explosion near the hotsprings" the female assistant cried. Rubbing his temples, he groaned in annoyance. "It's probably tsunade beating jiraya again" he grumbled before returning to the paperwork on his desk.

"But sir…Tsunade-sama isn't even in konoha"

 **Hotsprings…remains**

Where there was once a great Hotspring filled with many maidens and some unripe fruits, there now laid pools of hot water as any standing wood and stonework were done for and blown away. Several embarrassed screams could be heard as the ladies who came around for a good day fled the scene, covering their privates with their white towels. It was a good day to be alive for the men who were simply passing by.

 **Elsewhere**

"Rape! Help! This Old Pervert Is going to Take My Precious Purity Away From Me!" he shouted loudly as he laid on the older man's arms in bridal style. Gritting his teeth in anger, the old man shook the blonde violently with rage, screaming "What The Hell?!"

"Please be gentle with me" the blonde whispered with a blush on his face as he looked away and tried to cover his groin.

"What The Fuck, Kid?!" not able to take it anymore, he threw the boy into the nearest tree and landed on the forest floor.

"You've got some serious problem kid. First you tried to kill me with that fist" 'which I'm very familiar with…' "And now you're shouting nonsense. And what do you mean Old pervert!? Do you have any idea who I am?"

getting out of the tree trunk, the blonde waved his hand in front of his face as if shooing a fly away. "I don't give the slightest care, perverted old man. I'm outta here" he stated, walking away. He was halted as the older man grabbed him by the collar and made him sit down. 'Great…' he thought, rubbing his eyes in frustration of what was to come. He needed to have a surgeon remove that damn magnet.

"I Am-"

'so kyuubi…how come he's not dead?' he ignored the man and started conversing with the guest residing in his soul. They argued over whether the old man was worth anything or not. Reaching no conclusion, they decided to celebrate wildly if they ever got out of this village full of freaks.

"-The toad hermit, Jiraya!" he shouted in a weird pose, earning a confused look from the blonde.

"Pervert…hermit…ero…sennin?" the blonde asked himself, sweating beads in concentration. He finally stood up and pointed his finger at the older man. "Stay The Hell Away From Me You Perverted Creep" was his final shout as he began to walk away.

"Damn…he's even weirder than that snake freak…what should I name that guy?..." he whispered as he walked away, causing the older man's face turn serious as he heard his private soliloquy. Noticing the older man blocking his way, his face lost all signs of life as he too, turned serious. He crossed his arms and waited for the older man to state his business.

 **One minute later**

'Dam…this kid is cold' he thought after a minute passed and the whiskered teen did not do so much as a blink, staring blankly at him. "Two questions kid. Are you the kyuubi's jinchuriki?"

"Yes" was his terse response. "Did the snake man you mention do anything weird to you?" he questioned, crossing his arms, mirroring the teen.

"He took my virginity"

*Thwack*

"Don't Say It So Calmly Dammit!" he shouted at the boy's untimely humor.

"Okay. He fucked my seal up" he pulled his shirt up and sent chakra to his seal, revealing it to the frog hermit.

"This is bad…Kyuubi's chakra is slowly leaking out of you as we speak kid. It won't be long before its chakra runs out and-"

"I already know" he cut in, pulling his shirt down and crossing his arms again.  
From afar, a shadow watched the scene and grimaced at the mention of the kyuubi slowly dying.

 **"Pein-sama will not be pleased…"**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Transient Youth**_

In a space enveloped by unwavering darkness, a sanctuary of peace and quiet for those intimate with despair, a resounding voice broke the reign of silence and echoed deeply.

"Zetsu has informed me that the kyuubi's seal has been tampered with and its chakra is returning to nature as we speak. Itachi, Kisame, a change in our plans is necessary. We will start with the nine tails. Have him here before the kyuubi's existence is further distorted"

 **Konoha Borders**

Two men wearing dark cloaks adorned with red clouds rose from their seated meditation pose and began their journey to the village hidden in the leaf. The taller of the two had blue skin and a shark-like face that was the farthest thing from friendly. His companion had more humane features with dark long hair tied in a ponytail.

"So…Konoha, huh? Feeling nostalgic, Itachi?" asked the taller man, looking at his partner from the corner of his eyes, awaiting a reaction. All he got was a shake from the head as a response. "You're cold, man. No wonder the ladies keep their distance from you"

"you're one to talk, kisame. Your face sends grown men crying" the raven-hair retorted dryly, showing no signs of amicability.

"Guh…Cold as usual. So…" he grew silent, thinking of a topic for their long journey

"Don't Run Dammit!" he shouted, following his running companion.

"Pein-Sama ordered us to retrieve the kyuubi jinchuriki as soon as possible before he loses his purpose. I thought we should make haste" he stated, the ever dry tone present.

"Tch. You're just using that as an excuse to try and run away from me. So…what do you think the jinchuriki will be like?" he asked, curious himself as to what type of person his target was.

"Recent records stated that he was a loud mouth, dead-last, unpredictable, brash brat. I don't think you two will have any problem getting along, Kisame. I'm leaving the negotiation to you"

"Come on man! At least lose the robotic tone when you try to make a joke"

 **Two minutes later**

"Dammit Say Something! Your Silence Makes Things Serious And Makes Me Look Like I Have His Qualities!"

 **Five minutes later**

"Goddammit!" He shouted in disbelief. There was only so much to what he could take. It was always like this between the two. No matter how much he tried to break the man's shell, he would either stay silent or degrade him indirectly.

"Kisame"

The single word made the blue man sharpen his ears and hold his breath. This was the first time he had started a conversation with him. The silence felt like hours as he held his breath in anticipation of the first conversation he hoped to have with his partner.

"Look out"

*Bamph*

The tree gave out under the bigger man's force of impact and fell with a screech, roaring as it hit the ground and raised a cloud of dust.  
"Dammit!"

 **Next Day - Konoha – Training ground**

"Huh…guess your recent records were a bit off, Itachi"

"Indeed"

They watched the blonde in training. He was currently sitting in the middle of the training ground and had five clones fighting on the lake. He watched closely as they fought each other, nodding every now and then as a clone landed a successful hit on another. He finally dispelled his clones and started scribbling in a notebook he had by his side.

"Itachi" the taller man whispered to his partner and he nodded, activating his doujutsu. His onyx eyes turned crimson with tomoe in them and he began to read the movement of his hands.

"Note: maintaining balance on the surface of the water requires a decent amount of concentration on the feet. Fighting on such surface will mean it will be preferred to have a long range jutsu battle rather than engaging in a close quarter combat. Ero-sennin is again, absent today. P.s Two idiots are currently watching…" he grew silent and turned his dojutsu off.

"How does he know? We concealed our chakra right?" asked the talkative member, receiving no answer as usual from his partner.  
The blonde stood up and faced their direction, motioning for them to make their appearance.

They made their way out of the woods and approached the young teen wearing his black training garb. He was mentioned to wear orange clothing all the time, not to mention have an outgoing attitude. If such records were true, why was he staring silently at the two with an inscrutable countenance that rivaled itachi's?

"So Brat. I see your training has paid off if you sensed two nins concealing their chakra. What's your secret?"

"A freak named orochimaru fucked my seal up. Another freak named jiraya tried to fix my seal but what good he did was nothing in comparison to the damage the other freak did" he replied with a tone that made kisame's fingers twitch with rage

"the fucked up seal allowed me complete control over my chakra. Now it's your turn. What's keeping me from blowing this place up?" he asked, pulling a handful of explosive seals from his pockets. The two men took a step back as he tilted his head in question, oblivious to the bombs in his hands.

"Kid. Don't be stupid. We need you in one piece" Kisame tried to control the situation but the blonde's slowly gripping hands said otherwise about his opinions.  
"Not what I wanted to hear" he turned to the shorter man who was about twice his size "You seem less stupid. What's keeping me from blowing us all to pieces and alerting the village kage?"

"We need the kyuubi. The bijuu is slowly leaking out of you and will soon be no more. We would appreciate your cooperation, Naruto-kun"

Silence took over as a staring contest began between the two. Naruto dropped the papers and took a step back, eyebrow raised for reasons kisame could not figure out.

"I would be a terrible host if I gave my guest over to an idiot and a robot, right? Again, please try harder to convince me. I am merely a clone and my maker should be near the tower by now"

"You're One To Talk, Brat! You Haven't Showed One Bit Of Emotion!" The now sword-wielding man shouted in anger and frustration. One itachi was bad enough. Two would be a nightmare.

"Naruto-kun" Itachi cut in and put his hand on the bandaged sword, lowering it as he walked towards the blonde.

"I knew you were a clone. I saw you start running the moment we entered a fifty meter radius around you. My idiotic partner was too busy trying to make me talk to notice but I didn't miss it. Now please be a good clone and give this little bit of info to your maker…"

 **Village Center**

A certain short blonde teen stopped dead in his tracks as a rush of memory hit him. He changed direction and started heading towards his apartment, ignoring the people calling his name. He could care less right now. He needed to pack right away.

He didn't remember how long it had took him but now, he was standing in his room with a sack full of his belongings. He grabbed a pen and a paper and started writing.  
 **'Naruto…'**

 **Meanwhile**

A girl with pearl white eyes spied on the blonde and tilted her head in question when he came to an abrupt halt. Seeing him change direction towards her, she panicked and hid behind the nearest trash can, annoying a wild alley cat that jumped on her head and started scratching her in an unfriendly manner, causing her to scream as she tried to fight back.

 **Meanwhile**

"I'm telling you, he has hidden abilities that even my eyes couldn't see, Sakura! I promise, I'll figure him out if it's the last thing I do" a platinum blonde said enthusiastically to her pink haired friend

"Just please don't drag me into this ino…pig?" her gaze grew distant and a blush crept its way to her face.

"Eh? Forehead? What's wrong?" she asked and followed her gaze to the teen running towards them.

"Naruto? Hey Naruto Wait!" she shouted at the passing yellow blur. No reply meant no care and no care meant more determination for the kunoichi to figure him out.

 **Meanwhile**

"This will show him" she nodded to herself as she dropped her tools on the ground in front of a small apartment. Apparently, the owner of this condo was about to pay dearly for a wrongdoing as she picked the iron wire. Hearing footsteps quickly approach her, all she could do was turn her head to the approaching blonde and pray to god he wouldn't remember her. Something was off though. His eyes were distant. Those weren't the evil perverted eyes she encountered that night.

"Naruto?" was all she could utter before he slammed the door shut after he entered. After a few moments of deliberation, she thought it too immature and picked her gear up before heading off.

 **Afternoon – Konoha Borders**

"You sure you don't want to rest, kid? We've been running non-stop for hours now"

His response from the blonde was a shaking head. His insides squirmed in frustration when his fears came true and the boy turned out to be an evil clone of Itachi. Speaking of which, said person was eyeing the teen the entire time. He did not expect this turn of events at all. He was expecting to run into a few jounin at the very least but the kid's location and his cooperation made it seem too easy for comfort.

"So why did you agree to this, kid?" the bandaged-sword holder asked, not giving up on the child. He would not turn out a human failure like his partner.

"I do not find your idiocy amusing, shark face. Your partner stated the answer to your question in front of you this very morning. I'm coming with you because you promised to help get me stronger and preserve my bijuu" was his reply, filled with acrimony and disdain.

*Thwack*

"Respect your elders, Naruto-kun. Otherwise, you'll fall to his level and end up like him" Chided itachi after punching his head.

"Hah. You tell him partner!" he cheered and laughed to himself

 **Night – Small Camp**

"Dammit!" was the shout that signaled the man had realized what just happened

'I was starting to wonder why there was a lack of weirdness after ero-sennin…guess fate was holding back these two days' the jinchuriki thought to himself, rubbing his eyes.

"Kisame" itachi stated, eyes closed as he leaned on a tree. Hearing his name from the usually quiet nin, he tensed and grabbed his broad-sword, eyes darting around for what was coming.

"Goodnight"

 **Next day – Hokage Tower**

The old man in robes sighed heavily as he let out the smoke he had inhaled from his pipe. Across him stood Naruto's latest mentor, face hardened in concentration. "So when did you find this, Jiraya?" The hokage asked the other person present in the room. "I found it in his apartment this morning, sensei. Looks like the Akatsuki managed to nab him right under our noses"

another deep sigh before the kage burned the paper.

"They didn't steal him, Jiraya. He went with them of his own accord. He wouldn't have left a note if he was taken"

"How can we know the note wasn't the akatsuki's doing?" He argued, desperate to avoid the alternative.

"They wouldn't, Jiraya. They don't need to do such trivial things if they have the power to subdue bijuu as S-ranked missing nin"

A heavy silence took over the office, the only sound disrupting the peace being the blow of smoke from the kage.

"Minato…" Jiraya whispered, shaking his head in attempt to push away what was piling on his mind.

"We failed him, Jira-"

"No! Not If I Bring Him Back" he cut in, anger and despair evident in his tone. He was not losing another pupil. Especially not his previous pupil's son. Unable to take any more of the argument, he stomped his way out of the office.

 **?**

Before him stood a giant statue with shackled hands, fingers pointing upwards as if in prayer. On top of the fingers stood cloaked shadows, the only thing visible in the dark being floating red clouds. He shifted uncomfortably, intimidated by the dark atmosphere, feeling many eyes on him in the darkness. His attention was caught by a few clouds moving his way, signaling one's approach.

"Holder of the kyuubi…we did not expect such cooperation. Do you know why you're here?" the shadow asked the boy. He had to hold back a gasp when he saw the figure's ripple patterned eyes. His chakra sensors were haywire around this person, telling him he was strong beyond common sense.

"I'm here because I was promised you can help me preserve the Kyuubi"

talking about training seemed like certain death in his position

"And why are we to keep our promise, Uzumaki?"

The obvious hit the boy like a frying pan to the head with the exception of the PANG sound it would normally make. The gravity of the situation fell upon him and the only thing not giving him away was his unreadable features. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by someone he had grown fond of recently.

"If you would allow me to explain, Pein-sama. His seal has been distorted and he might not be recognized by the Gedo Mazo. I suggest we help him and in result, help us"

The blonde had never felt so good about someone cutting in on his conversation. He waited impatiently as silence once more enveloped the dark room. His life now hung on a thread and it was a thin one…

 **Konoha – Hokage Tower**

"Feel free to treat this as an S-rank mission, Jiraya but if you want him back, you need to convince Tsunade to return and help you. You can't take the Akatsuki on alone"

The quest to return the slug princess would be arduous but the toad hermit was willing to do anything to bring his pupil back…or crush the organization that took him.

He nodded and disappeared from the room, leaving a sighing old hokage behind.

"I'm too old for this…" he thought out loud and resumed his paperwork duties.

 **?**

"Dam kid. You're as cold as itachi. How could you leave your village like that? You're not even an adult" Kisame asked in disbelief.

He was wearing the akatsuki formal attire as the three walked down the dark hallways to Naruto's soon-to-be room. Shaking his head clear of the urge to kick the man in the gut, he swayed his hand and begun explaining for the older man.

"There wasn't much of a choice, Kisame. Either I would join or…else"

"Well you could've gone back to your village. It's not like we blindfolded you or anything" he argued

'I guess you guys have many bases if you don't mind this one being found out...' He thought to himself

"I decided to stay to help preserve my bijuu. According to your leader, I need to become stronger to if I want to keep my bijuu and stay in this organization even if temporary. Please take good care of me, Senpai" he finished with a nod

"Ahaha. No need to be-"

"The last part was intended for itachi-sama" he cut in and earned a punch to the head from both men.

"Why Did You Punch Him?" he asked with disbelief

"Naruto-kun. I told you not to drag yourself to his level. You don't have to explain anything to him anymore. If you turn out like him, I'll abandon you. And Kisame" he switched his look from the blonde to the taller man.

"Watch out"

*Thwack*

"Naruto-kun. That door kisame just walked into will be your new room. Starting tomorrow, we will begin training since I'd like you to be ready in a month for your first mission"

Naruto gave him a bow before he stepped over Kisame and entered his room, closing it and locking it behind him.

"Dammit Don't Ignore Me!"

 **?**

"Why did you let a jinchuriki join the team, Nagato? You know you have to kill him in the end, right?" a feminine voice asked the man with ripple-patterned eyes. He shook his head in response and sighed in defeat. He knew where this was headed…

"Konan, please don't start this. I know what I'm doing. I will use him to help gather the rest of the jinchuriki. I think it's a sound plan to have the strongest bijuu on my side if I'm going to be gathering them"

*Thwack*

the familiar sound usually made when a fist connects with someone's head resounded through the hallway followed by an "Ouch"

"You can be a real idiot sometimes, Nagato. What are you going to do when it's his turn? If itachi's training him, you can be sure he'll surpass everyone else with the help of his bijuu"

another sigh before the man continued "Konan. Please. He can't even fully use his Bijuu. We'll have to distort the seal even further from its original form if we want him to be able to use it which could risk permanently damaging the bijuu's existence. No need to worry though. I will put a chakra storage seal on him and store as much of his leaking demonic chakra as I can before sending him for the ichibi. That idiot orochimaru is making my job harder…what if something happens to the container in the invasion? That idiot…"

*Thwack*

"What was that for, konan?"

"What? Do I need a reason to show affection for my best friend?"

He sighed for the third time and walked away, looking forward to some rest for his throbbing head. "Can't live with them, can't live without them…" he whispered under his breath before turning a corner and meeting a blue-skinned man sprawled on the ground.

"…what is the closest thing to a bijuu doing on the ground?" he asked lethargically. He was nearing his limit of weirdness for the day…

"Oh. Pein-sama. Nothing, I just hit the brat's door, fell and was left to myself by my partner. I was thinking if anyone would consider helping me get up if I stayed here lon-"

"Goodnight Kisame"

 **Two weeks before the Chuunin exams – Hokage Tower**

"Well…I never thought I'd see you again in what little time I have left, Tsunade. To what do I owe this pleasure?" the kage asked with an amused smile. She had her arms crossed and was looking the other way, avoiding eye contact.

"You can thank your other pupil, old man. He made the cheesiest story about this kid Naruto being like my dan to him and stuff…damn…he sure knows how to hit a spot"

taking a puff from his pipe, he lost his smile and looked at her for a few seconds before continuing

"We wronged Minato, Tsunade. We failed to uphold his wish and take care of his only son. We owe it to him to at least bring him back"  
She took a seat, feeling that this conversation would take a while and sighed before continuing

"it's been about two weeks now, sensei. How do you know they haven't killed him yet?" she argued

"From what jiraya has told me, the seal is too deformed and the chances of extracting the kyuubi directly are slim to none. He's gathering what info he can from his network as we speak"

"Huh…he sure cares a lot about a boy he has barely spent any time with if he's skipping hotsprings…" she thought out loud.

Sarutobi pulled a drawer and took out a bottle of saki with two bowls, drawing a smirk from the blonde present in the room.

"Good old sensei…some things never change"

 **Kirigakure**

"Had enough, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, standing on naruto's beaten body. His black training garb was covered in dust and he could barely breathe the air he desperately needed. Sending a kick towards the man's back, he threw him off and stood up, breathing heavily. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with his hand and grinned brightly, reminiscent of his better days in konoha

"Barely. If you think I'm going to waste a second resting when I can still train with a kage level ninja, you don't know crap about me" he jumped high into the air and made his infamous cross seal

"Attitude…and you'll have to do better than that, Naruto-kun" The red-eyed adult called out. To his surprise and annoyance, the boy managed to fill the sky with his clones. He was getting very adept at using that jutsu…

"Eat This!" they all shouted in unison. Each clone held the one next to it and flung them towards the missing nin like a human bullet, creating a cloud of dust after the attack was finished. Dispelling his remaining clones as he landed, he grimaced when the memories rushed him. His sensei had easily avoided his new move with ease.

"I must commend you on learning a new way to use your clones Naruto-kun but…it is still not enough to land a blow on me and getting a Jutsu" he chastised, walking out of the dust with his eyes closed to avoid the floating particles. The blonde crossed his arms and looked away with a grimace

"Well excuse me, Mr godlike missing nin with evil red eyes"

*Thwack*

"I apologize for acting like kisame, sensei. His lack of presence demanded my imitation"

 **Akatsuki Hideout**

"you'll be glad to know Naruto and itachi's training is going well in the already war-ridden kirigaku-"  
A loud sneeze from the blue skinned man cut him off, earning the man a glare from his ripple-patterned eyes

"Sorry. I think it's the flu season" he pointed at a man who looked like a venus flytrap

"for the last time, Kisama (Bastard), I am not a freaking plant!" he shouted back in annoyance

 **Kirigakure**

Naruto and his sensei walked through the main village in their disguise which was a long black cloak that covered their bodies and a big straw hat that covered most of their facial features. Their walk back to the inn was fortunately eventless. Usually, it'd be some idiot trying to mug them. They would later be used as training dummies for naruto's training with itachi. Poor idiots…

"Naruto-kun. Why don't you go walk around the town for a bit? I must make contact with base and will need to be alone until nightfall. Don't stray too far"

"Yes, sensei" he bowed and turned to leave the inn. He stopped when he felt the man throw something at him. He grabbed what seemed to be like a small envelope and looked at the man questioningly.

"Buy yourself something. You've earned it"

A grin split his face as he bowed once more and thanked the man before running out. The sight made the stoic man smile briefly before he turned and left for his room.

 **'Well? What are you going to do now, human?'  
**

'I really want to train more, Kurukyuun. Ever since they put the seal on me, I've been feeling energetic again and can't help but want to train relentlessly'

 **'I'm pretty sure Itachi said you can do whatever you wanted till nightfall so…'** she trailed off and naruto's smile faded

he could sense that a big chakra source was about to walk out of the alley in front of him. It wasn't as big as kisame's, but it was easily comparable to a Kage's.

"We need to come up with a plan soon Ao or we'll be forced to lose another base when they find us" the chakra source's feminine voice could be heard from the alley. He held his breath and stared at the lady who just walked out. **'Wow…even I can go for that'**

the woman had auburn long hair that fanned out behind her, a bang covering her right eye. Her left emerald colored eye glimmered with a determination that attracted the blonde, causing him to look away when she caught him staring. He quickly turned around and let the heat on his face fade as he made his way to the nearest restaurant.

'That was…intense' he thought after taking a seat. He ordered miso ramen and continued his musings.

'Her hair…oh god I really want to run my hands through her hair' he thought with a longing face, fingers twitching and clawing the table, ripping the surface of the wood under his nails. He bit his lower lip as he remembered those determined green eyes. Oh how he longed to see them filled with that glint of affection he saw in _kurukyuun_ and _shukyuun's_ eyes. He shook his head clear of the woman when the bowl was placed on his table and whispered an _itadakimasu_ before chowing down his food.

'Not to worry though kurukyuun. This goddess will not sway me from your crimson hair and rebellious glare. As beautiful and breathtaking as she was, being with my kurukyuun is a must'

 **'I expect nothing less, rutokyuun. I demand daily care and affection'**

Finishing his food and paying for it, he made his way out of the shop and headed for his usual training area in the outskirts of the town. He felt a concealed chakra try to follow him as he made his way out of town. Getting annoyed with the follower's persistence, he finally reached the spot he trained at and took his cloak off, revealing his dirty training garb from earlier.

'I really don't feel like getting myself and itachi-sama into trouble…I guess I'll meditate for the time being'

he sat down and took the required pose before closing his eyes and absorbing his surroundings. A blue veil of chakra enveloped him, showing his concentration. 'Could it be itachi-sensei?'

 **'No. we're used to his chakra by now so if it was him, we could feel it. This chakra is new…'** she trailed off again as the chakra signature walked closer to the boy. The blue aura flickered slightly when he felt the chakra signature stand in front of him. He opened his eyes and what he saw made him gasp and lose control of his chakra cloak. Before him stood the woman he met earlier that day and now, up close, she was even more enchanting to the blonde Jinchuriki. Her hands on her hips and her demanding eye only helped infatuate the boy more before she switched to cross-armed mode.

"Aren't you a little too young to be a missing nin, kid?" she asked, pointing at the slashed konoha headband on naruto's arm. Naruto was currently absorbing the woman's visage, not hearing a single word she said. He could only stare as she moved her lips about. 'Her bossy posture…the eyes…the hair…kurukyuun…She's My Type!' he screamed in joy, standing up suddenly and causing the woman to take a step back.

"How old are you, lady?" he asked with a small smile. He was trained by itachi to further hide his emotions but right now, it was very hard for the teen to contain himself without his mentor around.

"Excuse Me?!" she asked incredulously. Was this kid dense? Didn't he have any manners? His blue eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at her, like a kid seeing his superhero in person.

"Whatever. Age is just a number. Miss. Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend?" he continued, enthusiasm rising with every sentence.  
She shook her head, turned around and walked away with a look of defeat.

"Just another idiot..." she whispered to herself

Unfortunately, Naruto had developed his five senses with the help of his sensei and could clearly hear what she said. Fortunately, said sensei had also trained the boy in controlling his emotions to avoid life or death situations. Sighing in frustration, he sat back down and resumed his meditation. He lost control and messed up the conversation, looking like the idiot she labeled him as. He made a mental note to keep his emotions under better control.

 **'I thought you were gonna train'  
**

'I am training. Can we try _that_ again, kurukyuun?'

 **'Knock yourself out, rutokyuun…but I demand obedience tonight when you get here'** she whispered the last part seductively before lending Naruto her chakra through the paper seal, enveloping the boy in a red cloak of demonic chakra.

"one…" he whispered and a red clawed hand slowly stuck out of his back, rising from his red cloak and wavered over his head.

'hn…good enough' he thought as a bead of sweat made its way down his cheek

"two…" another hand rose and joined the first one in a ram seal, helping the boy further his concentration.

He allowed himself to chuckle triumphantly, managing the artificial claws. Apparently, it was easier to form them if they protruded from his own arms but that would render him unable to use any jutsu. They were too big to use in hand to hand combat so if he had to use them, it would have to be either for delivering a big hit or to grab something…or someone! He continued to experiment on the possible usages of the claws until sunset. Putting his cloak back on, he made his way back to the town.

'It's way easier using my own chakra, kurukyuun. Yours is too volatile'

 **'well, your chakra arms aren't as big or as strong as mine's, are they?'**

'Yeah…I should probably buy something for itachi-sensei. What do you think, kurukyuun?'

 **'Well, considering you're like two peas in a pod, I recommend a crazy busty blonde with communication issues'  
**

'That's not nice kurukyuun. I am extremely fond of your sister and her playful attitude'

 **'I'm going to enjoy tonight…'** she trailed off, chuckling evilly every now and then.

 **Kirigakure inn**

"I'm home" he called out, taking his shoes and cloak off

"Welcome back. How was your day?" asked Itachi, currently making dinner for the two.

"You really shouldn't leave me by myself, sensei. I met a really good looking lady today and talked like an idiot to her"

*Thump*

He was hit in the head with a wooden spoon, courtesy of itachi uchiha. He shook his head and sighed

"Ever since the kyuubi's chakra was restored to your system, you've been too energetic for my liking, Naruto. Keep in mind that-"

he was cut off when Naruto put a small box on the kitchen counter

"What might that be, Naruto-kun?" he asked, turning off the stove and moving towards the box

"Happy birthday sensei!"

"It's not my birthday" he replied dryly, tone void of any noticeable emotion

"Happy Teacher's day!"

"That was last month"

"Happy Tuesday!"

"It's Wednesday"

The blond stared at his teacher with a dead gaze. Scratching his head, he took a step back and started dancing amateurishly

"Acting like a kisame will not amuse me, Naruto-kun. I'd rather see you try to be nice to your crush. Go take a shower. I'll have dinner ready"

With a nod, he hit the shower and left the man alone in the kitchen. He picked up the box and examined the content.

"…a bell?"

He stared questioningly at the small silver bell inside the box. He picked it up to see that it was a black bracelet with a small bell hanging from it. It made small noises with every shake. He shook his head in defeat and put the Bell away for the time being.

 **Elsewhere**

"Master. It seems your teammates have both decided to stay in konoha for the time being. How would you like to treat this new development?" a figure in the dark spoke, voice resounding grimly

"Interesting…"

 **Konoha**

"What's his problem?" Temari asked his brother as they looked at Gaara walking in front of them. Ever since a certain someone's disappearance, he had gone back to his broody killer mode. At least before, he wasn't constantly looking around as if he was choosing who to kill! Before he met the konoha nin, he would mind his own business and wouldn't kill you unless you tried it first!

After he met the blonde insane idiot, he would usually look down and seemed way more timid. Now…let's just say you have terrible luck if you were blonde and had blue eyes or resembled the missing blonde in any way.

"Mommy look. I have whisker marks" a child called to his mom, drawing their attention

"We should probably get him outta here" Kankuro sweatdropped

"Agreed"

They pulled the red-head away before he noticed the little blone boy with whisker marks drawn on his face. It would be a big problem if he started killing children for no good reason…

 **Kirigakure**

"Itachi-sensei. I'm going to sleep. Good night"

"Naruto-kun. We will be heading back to your village soon. Train with more spirit in the coming days and get ready for your first unofficial S-rank mission" he watched the boy for any signs of overenthusiasm. He was satisfied that he didn't see any. He would rather keep him calm and collected rather than headless and dead.

"Yes, Sensei. I will do my best" and with a bow, he went to his room.

 **Mindscape**

"I am yours to command, Kuru-chan. Please do with me as you see fit" he stated on his knees, head facing down and eyes closed. She started walking circles around him, like a hunter relishing the moments before it devoured its prey.

 **"Ruto-kun…I enjoy it very much when you call me** …" she slipped a finger on his cheek, his head following her hand shortly before resuming his obsequious position **"Kuru-chan"**

she stood in front of him and ran her hand through his scalp, grabbing the abundant blonde hair and jerked his head up, forcing him to look at her. Feeling his heavy breath on her stomach, she used her other hand to touch his whisker marks, slightly opening her mouth to let out the hot air that was gathering in her. She tilted her head and smiled coquettishly as she scratched his scalp and ran her thumb over his whisker mark. He slowly leaned his face into the palm of her hand, enjoying the caressing before he started leaving kisses on her hand. "I'm sorry I was enchanted by another woman, kuru-chan" he whispered with what seemed to be a sincere and sorrowful tone. She knelt down like him and held his face between her hands.

 **"I'm still mad at you rutokyuun"** she chided as she pulled his cheeks like a guilty little boy **"But I forgive you. I know I can't have you all to myself. I should learn to share but I don't want to, ruto-kun"** she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth **"I love you so much…I can't bear to see you with someone else…it hurts"  
**

He hugged her back and scratched her ears slowly and gently, rocking her gently in his arms "I appreciate the feelings you have for me kuru-chan…and I'm satisfied to see you so jealous of a woman I just met" she punched him in the ribs, cutting his speech off

"*Cough*…But!...you know as well as I do that no one will replace my soulmate. I love you too much, you know"

 **"Why is that?"** she asked, looking up with a smile she probably didn't know about…

"Because-"He pushed her down and got on top of her, digging into the soft flesh of her neck with his teeth, causing her to moan as she wrapped her arms and legs around him and pushed him deeper into her embrace

"I can't do this to anyone else" he whispered as his fangs once more dug into her, breaking the skin and causing her to bleed. He pulled his head back and looked at his handiwork. Her face was almost as red as the blood she was leaking as she stared at him with longing eyes. **"Ruto-kun…love me more"** she whispered, hands pushing his head back down on her neck

He smiled almost sadly as he bit her shoulder this time, feeling her flesh on his tongue as he licked the spot, receiving jolt of pleasure and maddening hunger as he tasted the familiar metallic taste of blood. He continued his savage show of affection for what felt like an eternity of bliss, biting different parts of her body and stopped when he returned to the other side of her neck.

"Kuru-chan" he whispered, blood dripping from his chin as he looked at her from his position. She was covered in a total of five bite marks, two on her neck, two on each shoulder and one on her left breast. Her eyes were closed and he noticed how she was rubbing her thighs together. **"Ruto-kun…just…a little…more"** she managed to say through her heavy panting. She rubbed his privates with her left leg, telling him what to do next. He crawled back a little and spread her legs, looking at her with uncertainty. "Kuru-chan…are you sure?" he asked for the first and last time before he ventured new areas on her delicate skin.

 **"Yes, Ruto-kun. I want it…Now!"** she almost screamed the last part, her body twitching in anticipation and causing her to arc her back.

He ran a finger down her left thigh and sent a shiver up her spine as she bit her lower lip. "You're so wet, kuru-chan" he whispered, his breath caressing her sensitive spot. Unable to take this anymore, she wrapped her legs around his head and buried his head in, running her fingers through his blonde hair. She gripped harder every time his actions caused her blood to pump faster, bleeding more from the bite marks on her body.

 **"Naruto…it's coming…something big is coming"** she whispered and tightened her leg-grip around his head, causing his fangs to dig into the area around her sensitive member and making his tongue reach her most inner spots. She screamed her ecstasy with his name from the bottom of her being as she convulsed in blissful pleasure, eyes rolling up in unimaginable happiness. Her legs finally gave out and she felt her body go numb, completely at the mercy of the now rising blonde. He ran a finger on his cheek and looked at the fluid covering most of his face. It seems she had done her job fervently. "Kuru-chan…" he whispered, sitting down next to the now curled up redhead

 **"Ruto-kun…that…was amazing"** she whispered tiredly

"Hmm?" he looked around as he felt somewhat uneasy. Like something was happening and it was affecting him indirectly.

"Kurukyuun…" to his chagrin, she was sleeping peacefully. He decided he needed to wake up and see what was happening so he held his hands in a ram-seal and focused…

 **Naruto's room**

He got up not too late to sense a chakra signature approach his bedroom window. Their room was on the third floor so whoever it was, it had to be a ninja. He braced himself for a fight, covering himself in chakra invisible to the naked eye. Taking any risks by underestimating whoever it was would clearly bear grim results.

"You?" was all he could whisper before a bundle of auburn hair crashed into him, pinning him down.

"Oww…" she scratched her head and looked down at the whiskered blonde. She realized her position, sitting on the boy's privates as he looked away, staring at the wall. She was about to get up when she realized something…or the lack of something. The boy wasn't excited at all. Slowly, not taking her eyes off of him, she got up and gave him some room to stand up.

"Excuse me miss but I think it's a bit rude to interrupt a growing teen's midnight summer dreams" he stated with a robotic tone, dead blue eyes staring at her. She looked around and quickly hid under the empty bed in the room. He felt another chakra approach and after a few seconds, enter his room. He looked at the man with uninterested eyes, holding back a scowl from this turnout of events. Once a magnet for freaks, always a magnet…

"Where is she?" the masked nin wearing blue anbu armor growled, menace leaking from his tone

"Manners, far below average and slightly lower than sickening  
Chakra, less than jounin and higher than chuunin  
Distance, less than three meters  
I will be able to do it on my own sensei" he spoke, seemingly to no one

"Very well. Good night Naruto-kun. Don't mess the room up too much" said a man's voice from behind his door before footsteps were heard.

"You're-"

The man was cut off when a blue visible chakra arm tore through the man's chest. The arm retracted to Naruto's outstretched hand and the dead man fell, blood covering where Naruto was previously sleeping.

"Hmm…how annoying" he whispered to himself as he began to cover the deceased with his bed sheet, rolling him over and curling him up into what looked like a cocoon. He created two clones and ordered them to carry the cadaver and follow his lead.

 **Kirigakure Outskirts**

"Drop him" he ordered and dispelled the clones. He whispered a silent prayer and moved towards the dead body.

"Wait" he stopped in his tracks, not taking his eyes off the man, as if looking away would count as a loss for his unofficial match.

"I'll do it…I owe you that much" the green eyed woman walked forward and went through a few handseals.

"Lava release…" she whispered and spewed molten matter over the dead man, covering him as it hardened.  
She turned to him and thanked him with a smile but he only looked away in disinterest. Growing very annoyed with his attitude, he put her hands on her hips and looked at him angrily

"What's your problem kid? You don't have to be so rude for helping me out you know"

"I didn't help you out, miss. I simply killed the intruder who was being hostile" he paused, looking at her and bowed, taking her by surprise as she took a step back "I would also like to apologize for my idiotic behavior today. I was very…" his ears turned red, signaling his blush "captivated when I saw you" he stood up straight, revealing his red face before he turned to leave

"Wait. I'm not done" she ordered, halting the boy. If he didn't enjoy being bossed around by older women, he would have continued his walk. Ever since he met Konan…

"Who are you? Why are you a missing nin? What are you doing in kirigakure? What was that hand? And why the hell were you not sleeping on your bed?" she bombarded him with questions and he shook his head in refusal  
"I'll answer a question if you answer mine so choose wisely because I only have three questions for you" he replied in the robotic tone that annoyed her to death. He

was a teen. He should have acted like one. the way he did earlier that day. Not like the dead-head Anbu she usually had to see.  
"Fine. Ask and If I can, I'll answer" she crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently when he closed his eyes

"May I know your name?" he finally asked

"Mei. Terumi Mei. My turn…" she trailed off. It really was hard. She had so many questions and she wanted to know all of them. She decided that knowing his name would reveal something eventually if she looked into him.

"Your name"

"Uzumaki Naruto" was his instant Reply

"How did you know I was in that room?"

"I followed you after you came back to town. I was curious. If my enemies had hired a nuke-nin, I would prefer to know as much about him as I could" she replied, looking away shyly when she finished

"No need to feel embarrassment, Terumi-san. I assume you are in a position that demands such precaution. Please continue"

"Right…and since you were a defect with a crush on me…" she trailed off

"I see. Now for my final question…" he stole his gaze and she noticed the glint that had appeared in them

"Terumi-san…what type of men do you prefer?"

What seemed to be a sort of _deadly_ silence filled the air between the two and he steeled himself, looking into her single visible green eye .She was glaring at him with a scowl and her hands were on her hips once more. Oh how he loved that bossy posture

"Listen, Uzumaki. I appreciate your help but you're too young for me. Besides, I'm into kind and gentle men who know how to take care of a lady not a robotic, killing machine. I'm sorry but it's not meant to be" she finished, crossing her arms again

His features hardened again at the blunt answer. He held a fist over his chest, as if grabbing his heart in pain and shook his head, clearing it of what he was thinking about

"I see…so be it" his dead gaze returned much to her dismay. The silence continued for an eternity before she spoke again

"Why were you sleeping on the floor when there was a bed present, summer dream?"

He looked away in disappointment. He was expecting her to ask who the man behind the door was or at least ask what the arm that killed the man was but he chose to get intimate with him…disappointing for him and her. What she was about to hear was not pleasant

"Because my sensei deemed so" he said with finality and turned around, walking away wordlessly

"Wait! I have one more question. Please" but he didn't listen as he furthered his distance. She appeared in front of her, arms spread and halted his advance towards the village. "Terumi…" he whispered darkly, his hand reaching for her. She stepped back, not expecting this. She felt his hand press on her rib right below her left breast and she squealed

"You're bleeding, you idiot" he chastised with a sad face and an angry tone, concerned eyes looking at the blood running down his fingers. He looked at the ground and noticed the trail of blood. It certainly was a lot. 'No wonder she missed a few questions…'

he looked back at her again and withdrew his hand. "You're going to pass out soon, Terumi. Do I have permission to take care of you?"

She followed the boy's gaze and noticed the trail of blood on the ground and on her left leg. She cursed her luck and gritted her teeth in anger. "Dammit. I knew I should have stayed and fou-" she trailed off, feeling light headed and shook her head, trying to regain her balance

"I don't have a choice…if you take good care of me like a true gentleman, maybe I'll reconsider…" she whispered before blacking out

 **Inn**

"Naruto-kun. What are you doing?" Itachi asked in his robotic tone, seeing his student take off a woman's shoes on his bed. He had seen some weird things but…he blinked and regained his composure

"Sensei. Please allow me to take care of her for the time being"

"I don't care if she's your crush Naruto-kun…Kill her if she sees me. I'm too tired to argue right now. For the second time, goodnight"

not waiting for a reply, he shut the door and headed for his room. He was going to die early at this rate…

the blonde turned his attention back to the woman currently on her bed. He went to his backpack and took out bandages and disinfectant. He used his kunai to rip her shirt and examined the bruise

'just a surface wound…she's probably anemic. I just need to patch her up and let her rest'

he summoned a single clone and ordered him to help sit her up so he could properly wrap the bandage around her

 **Ten minutes later**

He pulled a chair and looked at the sleeping beauty on the bed he never rested on. Her hair seemed like a fluffy layer of sheet under her pale body. He couldn't help himself and removed the bang covering her right eye and smiled at the sight. His smile soon faded when logic and reason kicked back in

' _it's not meant to be'  
_

the memories hit him hard

 _'a robotic, killing machine'  
_

he gritted his teeth in attempt to control himself

'we're just too different' he thought before getting up and sitting under the broken window, looking at the floor

 **'ruto-kun…'  
**

he shook his head, eyes locked on the floor

 **'it's okay rutokyuun. It's her loss if she dismisses someone like you'  
**

a smile graced his feature and he closed his tired eyes

'you always know the right thing to say, kurukyuun'

hearing low groans, he stood up, his smile long gone and stood over her, examining her. There was slight bleeding evident on the bandages but other than that, she looked alive and functioning.

"Why did you choose to come to me…" he whispered to himself "If only you-"

he turned his attention to the window and a second later, a man with a patched eye jumped through. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and turned to him

"That's the third time someone jumped through my window. You'd better have a good reason, Mister"

It seemed his luck was taking turns for the better. The man averted his eyes to the woman and sighed in relief

"I can tell from the bandages on her that you were helpful, boy. You have my gratitude" he stated politely and bowed

Naruto walked away from the bedside and crossed his arms, facing the man

"Please take her away. I would rather not be the one punched when she notices that someone has ripped her shirt and defiled her body by looking at her"

The man narrowed his eyes at that and took an offensive position

"Just because I'm grateful does not mean I'm trusting you, boy. And how can you give her away so easily?"

He swayed his hand, a look of boredom on his features

"You don't have a choice, Sir. I took care of the one you care about…I'm guessing…your name is Ao?" a twitch of his finger told the blonde that he had hit the right spot. This man was with her earlier that day and could be trusted

"Ao-san. I could've easily killed her but I didn't. Please don't make this situation more complicated and just take her away"

he let his killer intent loose and cracked his index finger, staring at the man with the rage he had recently gathered from his misfortunes

"I didn't sleep well and feel very stressed out. I'm going to take a nice long shower and if I come back to see you still present, I'm killing you both"

With that, he left the room and walked towards the shower, ignoring his teacher who stood by the door to his room  
He let the cold water run down his face, his gray pajamas still on him

'so this is what crushed hope feels like…'

 **'rutokyuun…'  
**

'Am I still too weak? Would she have thought otherwise if I was strong like Itachi-sensei or Kisame?'

 **'Come on Naruto. Don't talk like that…you're not weak…you're anything but'  
**

'then why…' he leaned his forehead on the cold white tiled wall and bit his lower lip hard, trying to forget the pain in his chest. He hadn't felt this pain since he lost zabuza and haku…and this situation had one thing in common with the previous incident for him

Meanwhile, itachi listened as the man carried the woman off and exited from where he entered

'let this be a lesson Naruto. In the world of shinobi, only the strong prevail. There is no place for love. To love is to be vulnerable…'


	4. Chapter 4

_**Beginnings and Endings**_

Fireworks were shot into the sky, signaling the start of the much anticipated Chuunin exam battle. The city swarmed with citizen, lords and ninja from different countries, all gathered for the same purpose. To watch the exams that would either bring pride or shame to their country. The crowds headed for the arena, looking forward to an exam they would remember for a long time. Little did they know, the events that day would be unforgettable

 **Konoha borders**

"We're not gonna make it" Kisame groaned lazily, following the blonde with his stoic partner

"We have to, Shark face" he replied, speeding up and further distancing himself

*Thwap*

"Dammit Throw Your Own Ring!" he shouted at his partner and started looking for his Akatsuki ring

"Naruto-kun. Losing your head metaphorically is the same as losing it literally. Calm down or I will ban you from continuing the mission"

"But sensei-"

"No buts Naruto. As my student, your failure is my failure. You don't want to disappoint me again, do you?" he threatened, Sharingan coming to life and spinning. the blonde swallowed and nodded in acknowledgement. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down and his unreadable features returned

"No sensei. You taught me how to control myself very well when I lost control of the Kyuubi's chakra. I will do my best to keep calm"

accepting his apology, he nodded and started his walk towards the village, followed by his blonde pupil.

"Dammit I can't find it! Hey! Help Me Out!"

 **Konoha Stadium**

"My My, Hokage-Sama. The famed Uchiha prodigy is certainly holding his ground against my son. And he already has Chidori, an A-rank Jutsu as well? I am very impressed" The man covered in Kage robes commended and clapped his hands twice, showing his sincere amazement

"You flatter me, Kazekage-Sama. Your son is very talented as well albeit he lacks the focus and control necessary to a ninja's making" he replied, smiling as he said so

"That always has been a problem"

They looked at the ongoing match as Sasuke tried to strike the red-head with his thunder technique but failed to do so as the boy's sand kept interrupting his opponent's advances

Preparing his Chidori for the final strike, canon shots were heard and the whole stadium fell silent.

"Looks like the games have ended, sensei" the Kazekage growled, taking his robes off to reveal a pale skinned man with eyes similar to a snake's

"Indeed. Let me show you the will of fire for the last time, _my_ _pupil_ "

 **?**

The two cloaked figures stopped at the sound of canons being shot and the shorter member began trembling.

"Sensei…"

Closing his eyes, he began weighing the situation. After a few torturous moments for the blonde, he finally nodded, giving him permission to go ahead

"Head for the Ichibi, Naruto. Crush anyone in your path…and make me proud"

"I will not let you down, Sensei"  
He ran up a tree and flew high into the sky, using his clones as stepping stones until he was high enough to see the outline of the village walls. Charging his hand seal, he created a single clone and nodded to him knowingly

"Beeline. Village"

as they started to descend, a big chakra arm protruded from the clone's arm and grabbed Naruto. Spinning wildly like a yo-yo, the clone gained momentum and sent the maker flying like a human bullet towards the village before landing on his back in front of his sensei

"Well?" Itachi asked the clone

"Not bad for my first time, sensei. I only ever thought about it as a theory"

"why am I not surprised…" he crushed the clone's head under his foot and continued his leisurely walk towards the soon-to-be battle ground Konoha

 **Elsewhere…**

"Where's a Byakugan when you need one?..." he grumbled as he continued looking among the grass

 **Meanwhile – Konoha**

A Giant three headed snake appeared out of the giant smoke cloud, far surpassing the size of its lesser snake brethren and hissed viciously at its surrounding humans. It didn't take long before a giant slug and a giant toad appeared in front of it, courtesy of Tsunade and Jiraya.

"Jiraya. Go to sensei. I've got this" she ordered, eyes on the giant three-headed snake that was readying itself to strike. With a nod, he rushed to the stadium and left the snakes to the two summons and his ex-teammate.

"*Sigh*…now what should I do with you…" she thought out loud, sighing in contemplation. Why couldn't she at least finish her drink before they decided to strike? Were they that eager to lose their heads?

"Hmm?"

A whistling sound caught her attention, as if something was hurled towards their location at a great speed. She heard a feral roar before the snake fell over and began to squirm in pain.

"What the hell…Akatsuki?"

She narrowed her eyes and looked at the sole figure on the snake's head. The figure was trying his hardest to stay intact and as a result was being flailed around by the shaking snake. Another roar followed by the figure's fist being slammed into the snake's head and the snake fell limply. The other two heads hissed at the figure cautiously, awaiting their moment to strike.

"This isn't good. Split up and help the villagers. I'll handle him" she ordered her summon before she jumped towards the figure

"Damn that hurt like hell" the figure spoke to himself as he held his fist in pain "Where the hell did it come from anyway…hmm?" he turned to the blonde who had just landed on the snake's chin

"That was quite a punch you had there boy. Mind if I test it against my own?" she challenged. He stared at her impassively, the only sound heard being the hissings and the sound of metal hitting metal, the sign of the ongoing war around them.

"Well?" she inquired, tired of his silence.

"I apologize miss, but I can't. Please let me-"

The remaining snake heads chose their moment of strike and each aimed for a figure, flying forward, ready to swallow them whole. Much to the humans' chagrin, due to their scaly enemies' intervention…and the snakes' demise for their interruption, they were sent flying back with a fist from both figures. "As I was saying…Miss. Please let me pass. My sensei would punish me severely if I fail to accomplish my objective in less than an hour"

"Fine. You can pass…if you win*Hic*"

'could she be…drunk?'

Without any warning, she ran towards him, fist drawn back and glowing blue with chakra. Scowling, he did the same and held his fist back while running towards her.

'Three punches used…two more to go…Kurukyuun…full power please'

his fist glowed red as the distance between the two figures shortened. With one last step that dug into the snake's skin and one last breath that filled their lungs, they lunched their fists at each other, knuckles meeting knuckles as a shockwave of power was sent from their fists' connection. Both figures were sent flying back and both arms were damaged severely. The shorter figure stood right back up and looked at his unusable arm, face carrying its impassivity

 **'I'll need a minute, Rutokyuun. Please turn off your freak magnet for the time being'  
**

'it's not like I have a switch, Kurukyuun…'

"Damn you, Akatsuki" she growled as the figure walked towards her, hiding his arm under his cloak.

"May I pass now, miss?" he asked politely, causing her to blink in confusion

"Eh?" she asked and Naruto ran his left hand through his hair in frustration

"I do not enjoy repeating myself miss. Will you allow me to pass?" he asked, polite tone gone and replaced with his building frustration. Konan's teachings had to be upheld…and she had a way of finding out if he failed to do so!

"Yeah" she managed to blurt out, staring at him in disbelief. Was he…she couldn't even begin to imagine what was wrong with this boy. He just managed to butt heads with the slug Sannin and walk away from it without so much as an Ouch and he was asking permissions? And his demeanor…she had seen someone with blue eyes and spiky blonde hair before…

"Thank you. I apologize for what I've done to your hand but you left me no choice" he bowed and began to walk away, heading towards the outskirts

"Wait…What's your name?" she yelled at the retreating figure

"I'm very sorry for my rudeness but I ask a question for every question I'm asked. Seeing as how I don't have much time left…" he trailed off when he saw the one tailed Bijuu appear in the distance

 **"FUCK"** he shouted ferociously and cracked the earth beneath him as he Shunshined out of the area.

'Goddamit! Itachi-sama is going to kill me if he finds out I wasted four fists in less than five minutes'

 **'well it wasn't your fault that damn snake appeared out of nowhere. Besides. Didn't he say crush anyone in your way?'** she tried to calm him down and it worked as he breathed more easily and his feral features turned to a normal teenager's once more

'so what…now? I'm strictly supposed to subdue the Ichibi and bring him back'

 **'well…I'm sure she'll recognize you if she sees you, Rutokyuun. After all, you did get** _ **very intimate**_ **with my sister in front of me'**

the giant raccoon shouted ferociously and started to head towards the village center

 **"RUTOKYUUUUN"** It shouted in an ear-damaging high pitch voice, causing him to cover his ears and whisper curses

 **"COME TO ME RUTOKYUUN. I CAN SENSE YOU"  
**

 **'That's It! Take Me Out Naruto! She Needs To Learn You're Mine'  
**

staring at the ground for a second, he thought about his situation before forming the necessary seals for a Henge. He just didn't care anymore. Common sense be damned, two Bijuu were fighting over him like a toy.

 **Village Walls**

"Goddammit Itachi! Why did you throw my ring and leave?"

A finger pointing forward was his only reply. He stared impassively at the fight between a giant frog and a giant snake. Behind such spectacle was the nine tailed fox, clawing the one tailed raccoon

"You know what Itachi…I think I'm beginning to see the point in not giving a fuck anymore. Common sense my ass…" he shook his head and followed Itachi towards the two fighting Bijuu

 **Bijuu fighting grounds**

" **Kurukyuun says…YOU CRAZY RACCOON! I TOLD YOU HE'S MINE!...and that I should aim for your eyes next"** the giant fox bellowed in a deep fierce voice that shook the area **  
**

**"HE'S NOT AN OBJECT TO OWN, KURUKYUUN! EVEN IF HE WAS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR SISTER"** the high pitch voice replied **  
**

the two continued to claw at each other until Naruto dispelled the Henge and landed on Shukaku's head.

"That was a lovely talk ladies even though I was the one getting battered around" he stated as a few lines of blood were streaming down his face"Let's continue this elsewhere some time later, where I can have a say in the matter and you both sound more human"

he walked towards the sleeping red-head on the sand raccoon's forehead and charged his fist with chakra when a sand sphere enveloped him

 **"RUTOKYUUN! YOU CAN'T! I JUST CAME OUT AFTER YEARS OF CONFINEMENT"  
**

"Shh…I really want to see you again, Shukyuun…so please forgive my rudeness" he whispered as he caressed the sphere with the palm of his hand before raising his fist

"see you soon"

 **"NOOOOOOOOO"**

From a distance, two cloaked figures watched the boy's fist connect with the sphere and send a red-head flying towards the ground, causing the giant sand raccoon to crumble and fall apart.

"Congratz, Partner. In a month, you managed to train a dead-last to become strong enough to beat the one tail" he praised and patted the man on the back

he couldn't hold back the smile on his face and nodded in return

"I expect nothing less from anyone who trains under me"

Five minutes later, Naruto joined them with the red-head container who was being carried by his clone.

"What took you so long, Naruto?" Itachi asked with his Sharingan active, causing the blonde to sweat in fear

"Sorry sensei. There was this huge three headed snake which appeared out of nowhere and then this crazy strong lady who wanted to try my chakra fist and-"

"Save it Naruto. Did you yourself believe a single word you just said?" he cut in, shaking his head in disappointment

"But-"

"Itachi!" an unfamiliar voice interrupted

Gritting his teeth in annoyance for being cut off again, he turned to the source of the noise and laid eyes on his ex-teammate.

"I Will Have My Vengeance! Face Me" he shouted, vehement rage and ire leaking from his words and black tomoe tattoos covering his body

"Leave him to me sen-"

"No, Naruto. He's my little brother. I'll handle him"

Obeying his sensei, he stepped aside and stood next to Kisame.

"So…how's your day going, kid?" he asked as he watched Itachi break his brother's wrist after his attempt to shock him or something. He couldn't tell what the boy was trying to pull off with a direct attack anyway. He stopped caring about reality when he saw a purple rectangular box appear on top of a building

"Sharky…my day's going really bad. My sensei didn't believe me, I had to beat a Bijuu and worst of all, I was cut off three times in a row…I almost feel like I'm in your position"

*Thwack*

"Watch it kid. Your sensei isn't here so my hand might slip"

"it just did…" he whispered to himself

*Thwack*

"Hmm…this actually feels good"

"Don't let it grow into a habit, Fin-head"

After Itachi finished using his Mangekyo on his little brother, he returned to his colleagues and nodded.

"All done. Let's go"

"That was harsh sensei. Even for you. I mean…he's your brother, isn't he?" he asked, following his seniors with his clone behind

"Naruto…I need him to grow strong enough to kill me" he said with a tone unfamiliar to Naruto

"or would you rather take my Mangekyo on again?" his red-eyes turned to him and the blonde smiled nervously

"No thanks…I'd rather die than see those memories over and over again…" he finished in a low voice

"Damn, Itachi…you sure like using that eye of yours on people you like huh?"

"Which is why you will never experience it, Kisame"

"Cold…" he grumbled

"Umm…sensei?"

"Now what?"

"What's that?"

He pointed at a giant purple box over the stadium. It seemed to be filled with trees and rocks

"Unnecessary trouble, Naruto. Let's go" he commanded as they walked through the rubble of a fallen building in the village

"See sensei!? Look! I Did That" he shouted excitedly, pointing at the fallen three headed snake. His reply was a shaking head and he pouted in defeat.

"Tsunade-Sama! Hurry! The Hokage Is In Terrible Condition" The three heard clearly and Naruto's face showed shock and despair, hands shaking as his clone disappeared and dropped the red-head.

"Narut-"

before he could finish, cracked ground was left where the blonde previously stood

"*sigh*…I'm blaming you for his lack of obedience Kisame. You're rubbing off on him"

"Oh shut up" he grumbled as he picked the boy up and continued to walk away with his partner

"you sure you want to let him go?" he asked, looking at him from the corner of his eyes

"I've sent a clone after him. Unlike you, I use my brain"

"*sigh*…well…at least you talk now with the brat around. You were a statue before"

 **Stadium top**

The nine tail Jinchuriki landed on the roof, crushing the tiles under the pressure of his impact. His red eyes widened at the sight of the man he met in the forest of death. His arms seemed deformed and unnatural and for some reason, he was shouting at a limp figure. He recognized the figure to be the man he considered his grandfather, tears running down his cheeks as he remembered the short moments of happiness the man had provided him over his horrible years in Konoha. Memories of the first time he painted the Hokage faces rushed him as he slowly stood up

" _Dammit Naruto! Why did my face have less paint? Huh? Look at that!" he pointed at the fourth Hokage's face on the mountain  
_

 _"He's covered in paint while my face only has tears running down"_

 _"Sheesh. Sorry gramps. I'll cover yours in paint next time. Happy?"  
_

 _"No Ramen Today!"  
_

 _"WHAT?!"_

He walked sluggishly towards the lying figure, ignoring the old man with spiky hair standing next to him. On cue, the barrier disappeared, allowing him to proceed forward

" _Hey Jiji! Look What I learned yesterday! Sexy Jutsu!"_

All he could do was stare at the body that lied before him. His knees gave out and he kneeled before one of the people he couldn't imagine the world without.

Unconsciously, his hands wrapped around his lifeless body, pulling him into a weak hug as his hands threatened to drop him due to his uncontrollable trembling. His heart gripped itself in agonizing pain and his chest felt heavier, as if filled with molten lead. "Jiji" he cried lowly and his next exhale became a hiccup as his emotions broke through and he wept into the dead man's chest

" _Naruto…I hope that one day, the village sees you for the hero that you are. You're like the annoying grandson I never had"_

Sharpening his senses to the max, he searched for the man responsible for his grandfather's death and located him three hundred meters away. Letting the old man down gently, he walked to the edge of the roof, face void of emotions with tear stains on his cheeks. His red eyes wavered in anticipation of what was to come as he jumped forward with all his might, ignoring his ex-mentor's voice, shouting his name.

 **'Naruto! As much as you want to tear him to shreds, you just used your last jump and you're out of punches. What now?!'  
**

'I will do the _Hechatoncheir_ if I have to, Kurukyuun'

his eyes fell upon the retreating figure. He summoned a clone and changed his trajectory, landing in front of the group.

 **"You freak…"** he growled as he walked out of the dust cloud, eyes fixed on the pale man on the verge of death

 **"I'm going to hit you so hard, so many times…"** he grit his death in rage, unable to form coherent words that would describe his desire to hurt the man. Not only had this man ruined his seal and caused his beloved to slowly leak to death, he just killed one of the few precious people he had left in the world

"Pah…to think Akatsuki has recruited the likes of you. Finish the brat off" he ordered and three of his bodyguards closed in on him, himself using the sole female of the four to keep his balance

he eyed the three members closing in on him and scowled in annoyance

 **"Chakra cloak…"** he whispered and his red cloak of chakra enveloped him, growing in size as the three assassins closed in on him

 **"Hechato-"**

"Stop" a deadly tone commanded from behind him and the blonde's eyes widened in shock like the rest of the ninja present

"Itach-"

"That's enough Naruto. I can't let you stray farther from the mission. Rendezvous at the outpost in thirty" and with that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The blonde's face turned impassive as he stared one last time at the snake man

"Your name" he pointed at the man with snake eyes, a tone of authority and threat present in his voice

"Orochimaru the snake Sannin, Brat" he spat out in disdain

the blonde cracked the finger that was pointing at him and scowled, red eyes coming to life once more

"pray to your gods that I don't find you"

Five red arms shot out of him and held the invaders against the trees, strangling them. Their struggles turned out to be futile as the grips held stronger the more they flailed about

 **"Because if I do, I will do anything** _ **but**_ **kill you"** he let his warning linger in the air before retracting his _arms_

"Hahahaha…pity I can't have your body, holder of the nine tails. You've grown quite well in such short time" the snake sannin shouted at his retreating figure whom cracked his middle finger as he walked away

 **Akatsuki Hideout – Naruto's room**

"So what happens now?" the blonde asked his mentor as he poked the unconscious red-head with a stick. His effort to awaken him proved futile and he made a mental note to create a better awakening method.

"Pein-Sama is having second thoughts about absorbing the Ichibi. It seems he has other plans for the one tail container…stop poking him Naruto" he ordered the last part

After a few minutes of staring at the sleeping red-head on Naruto's bed, Pein and a man carrying a big red three bladed scythe entered the room. Mentor and pupil bowed to the ripple-eyes but chose to ignore the other man. The blond scowled at the sight of the other man for reasons unknown…

"Pein-Sama…I assume Hidan's presence means you have chosen the alternative?"

"Yes, Itachi…go with them to Kirigakure, release the one tail and have Hidan seal him in the Kyuubi container. It is unheard of to have a single body contain two Bijuu but just because someone hasn't tried it does not necessarily mean it is not possible"

Meanwhile, the other two were too busy bickering to hear any of the argument

"Hey zombie man. Still banged up from taking my punches?" the blonde remarked, hitting a nerve on the taller man

"Watch it brat. I'm immortal but I still feel pain. The only reason I agreed to let you train on me is because your mentor promised-"

"If you two are done, I'd like us to depart ASAP" Itachi ordered and walked away with the red-head slumped over his shoulder

 **?**

"What's your excuse this time, Nagato?" the feminine voice asked, anger clear in her tone

"*sigh*…I still don't have enough of the Kyuubi's chakra, Konan. I can tell the chakra is already half way gone the way Naruto uses it. That's why I'm using the one tail to recharge the nine tail's batteries"

*Thwack*

"Stupid! What happens to the one tail's chakra?!"

"The Kyuubi's chakra leak is…allow me to put it in simpler words. The Kyuubi's output is bigger than its input, meaning that it is losing chakra faster than it can regenerate. Using the Ichibi as a sort of…amplifier, I can increase the Kyuubi's input to slow down its deterioration and have enough time to absorb more of its chakra. To sum it up, Hidan will seal the Ichibi in a cage over Naruto's deformed one to channel chakra to it. It shouldn't be too hard for a seal master who can use his enemies' blood to channel damage to them"

*Thwack*

"*Sigh*…I'm going to bed. Goodnight Konan. Please have a word with Naruto before he leaves. I don't think he and Hidan get along very well"

 **Naruto's Room**

'Am I missing anything?' he asked his soulmate as he looked over the content of his backpack. Rations, first aid and a few kunai and shuriken. Not that he would necessarily need them

'better put these on before I forget'

he picked up the a black vest on his bed and put it on, feeling his body grow heavier

'Ah…feels kinda good putting it back on even though I took it off an hour ago'

 **'It's because you're a monster who drools when he hears the word training'  
**

'That's not a nice way to talk to your lover, Kurukyuun. Besides. You know I'm doing this to help you, right?'

*Knock Knock*

he heard someone growl in his head as he headed for the door. There was only one person in the entire Akatsuki who would _knock_ on his door. Opening the door, he smiled at the blue haired woman standing at the entrance of his room with a white paper flower in her hair. He stepped aside wordlessly and led her to the sole chair in his room. He took a seat on his bed next to the backpack and looked at her cheerfully.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. I heard you did well on your first mission" she commended but heard no reply. Instead, he looked down at the floor with a blank face.

"What will happen to Gaara when the Ichibi is taken from him?" his question lingered in the air for a few moments before she decided to answer

"since the Gedo Mazo doesn't force it out of him, he'll be fine. Traces of the Ichibi will be left in him since he had the demon since childhood and his chakra coils are mixed with demonic chakra. He'll be able to get some sleep too, I guess"

pleased with the answer, a smile graced his features again. He didn't necessarily love the red-head like a brother but his short memories with him were unforgettable.  
"Can you get along with Hidan, Naruto?" she asked with a pleading manner, causing his smile to turn to a grimace

"I really don't think so, Ko-nee-chan" he said, losing the formality "He's a freak. Sensei told me to test my limits on him and he just would not die! I even punched a hole through his chest once"

*Thwack*

she was up and her fist was resting on Naruto's throbbing head in an instance, a grimace evident on her face similar to Naruto. She put her hand on her hip and held a finger up admonishingly, causing the boy to secretly shiver in excitement

"I don't care if you don't like him Naruto. He's your senior and you have to tolerate him even if you don't respect him"

"Oww…fine" he whispered, surrendering and rubbing his head soothingly. Inside, he was happy that someone cared about him even if it was in the form of a bossy lady chastising her subordinate

"Good boy" she complimented as she caressed his cheek and he happily leaned into it. Her caressing soon turned to a firm hold as she held his ear and pulled it painfully

"So I heard…you broke a lady's hand, Naruto-kun?"

Panicked blue eyes stared into her cold grey ones and she smirked evilly, causing the boy to swallow nervously

"Need I remind you Naruto-kun…that I only show care for gentlemen and punish bad boys severely?"

He had something prepared for the day she'd get mad at him again. He reached a hand into his backpack and took out a small box

'I hope she has the same taste as sensei…'

 **Konoha**

"Where is Tsunade Senju-Sama?!"

"Find her dammit! Spread the word"

"Where the hell is Jiraya-Sama?"

"Goddammit! Who do we ask to become the Kage now?!"

 **?**

"Dammit Tsunade! Where are you!?" a lone man with long spiky hair shouted in the trees

 **?**

"Shizune *Hick* I'm so weak. A brat matched my fist and walked away like it was nothing *Hick*" a busty blonde with a blush brought on by her alcohol stated through hiccups. Shizune, the woman with short black hair sitting in front of her with a pig in her arms smiled nervously before trying to calm her down

"Tsunade-sama, you know the Akatsuki are top notch. Besides, doesn't the village need you? And didn't you promise to help Jiraya?"

"Screw Him!" she shouted, fist slamming down on the table "My fragile heart is broken and my delicate soul was scarred by that brat!"

Shizune sweatdropped at that. 'Delicate and fragile?...really?...'

 **Konoha**

"Ah man. I can't believe I slept through the whole thing" a brunette whined to herself as she helped carry a big wooden plank with another blonde Kunoichi

"you and me both, ten-chan. I feel really useless" she agreed and her shoulders fell a little in sadness

"Come on you guys, be happy that we're helping in rebuilding the village"

they turned their heads to see Sakura and Sasuke carrying a plank together. 'No wonder she's happy' the blonde thought to herself

the boy however, was deep in thought, ignoring the whole conversation. He was currently going over what had happened when he met Itachi. Recently, he had been remembering more and more details about his thrashing and Naruto's head kept popping up more and more in his thoughts, the same thoughts that drove him out of the hospital one the second day.

'he called Itachi, sensei…does that mean-' he was cut off by a foreign and familiar voice in his head

 **'that's right Sasuke…come to me…I am the one who can grant you power to best them…come to me…'**

 **A week Later – Kirigakure**

"Brings back a lot of memories, Right sensei?"

"Not really" the man deadpanned "You and Gaara will have your own room as I was told to strictly keep you and hidan apart except when training. Your room will be one floor over us Naruto. I trust you to keep a hibernating boy in check" he said as he gave the sleeping boy to Naruto's already created shadow clone

"I don't get it…why keep him under all the time?" he asked as he examined the sleeping teen

"Because we can't risk setting a Bijuu loose somewhere populated you idiot"

"No one asked _You_ , Freak!" he retorted, fist raised in objection to his intervention

"Go to your room Naruto. I really don't have the nerves for this" Itachi commanded, rubbing his eyes as he walked into the inn to reserve their rooms

 **Naruto's Room**

He finished setting the room to his liking, full of traps and laid the boy on the bed. He crossed his arms and tapped his lip in contemplation, staring at the sleeping boy

'Well…it's night time and I don't think it's wrong for two teenagers to sleep together…is it?'

 **'Not if they're hot and naked'** she replied and to her surprise, Naruto took his shirt off before slipping in bed with him

 **'I was being sarcastic!'**

 **Mindscape**

"Shukyuun!" he shouted happily and ran towards the nude beauty playing with the sand. She gasped when she saw him and also began running towards him

 **"Rutokyuun!"  
**

*Pow*

the boy was sent flying and the nude red-head shook her head in surrender. Better get rid of that common sense now while things are still looking relatively normal…

 **"Oh…hi Kurukyuun"** she greeted in a less energetic tone and switched her gaze over to the direction of the dust cloud.

 **"Greet your sister properly!"**

 **"I don't like my sister. She's too little"** she pointed at her bust **"Besides, I'm more interested in-"  
**

Naruto's punch sent her flying and he followed the direction towards her landing spot

 **"oh god why…"** the crimsonette sighed in defeat and began her long walk towards the two blondes who were now wrestling, trying to pin each other down

 **"Hnn…Rutokyuun. I missed you so much"** she whispered lusciously into the ear of the boy holding him down. She took his ear between her teeth and bit down on it, drawing blood and causing the blonde to grimace before he started biting her neck

 **"Ahh! Rutokyuun…you're so mean"** she whined but her hands gripped his hair in pleasure when he started licking and kissing the spot

*Thwack*

 **"Don't you have more important things to do besides molesting my sister, Human?"**

"Oh yea-" he was cut off when Shukaku buried his face in her bust to shut him up

 **"You've had him to yourself all you want, Kurukyuun. Now it's Shukyuun's turn to have some fun"** she giggled when the boy struggled **  
**

**"Don't you care at all about why your host has been asleep for an entire week?"  
**

 **"Hnn…not really"** she replied with a different tone when the boy buried in her chest started biting her again, only in more sensitive areas. Her legs began to rub together unconsciously and she threw her head back in bliss when he bit the most sensitive spot on her torso.

 **"You're going to be my host's Bijuu soon…that means we're going to be sharing him for real"** she managed to say longingly as she looked at the boy work on her sister's body. As if feeling her mood, he sat up and winked at Shukaku's needy eyes.

"That's right Shukyuun. I heard sensei and Pein-sama talk about it. We'll be seeing more of each other now. Which brings me to the favor I want to ask of you…" he whispered the last part as he spread her legs and rubbed his member against hers, making her shiver and arc her back in desperate need for more. She held her red burning face and smiled as the jolts shot through her spine every time he rubbed against her member

"Please be a good girl when you're set loose and be my prisoner"

 **"Ahhh…Ruto-kun…do you treat all your prisoners like this?"  
** He lowered his head and let his breath breeze past her ear as she wrapped her arms around him before continuing

"I'm a host Shuka-chan…it's only right that I see to my guest's each and every need"

hearing those words, she wrapped her legs around him and pushed his member harder against hers, grinding them together as she locked lips with him passionately. Her love session was cut short when her sister pulled him away, causing her to grimace in anger

 **"Sorry to interrupt but I can't let you get too intimate with my host when you're not even his prisoner yet…and what the Hell? Ruto-kun is my nickname for him! Find your own. And you"** she turned around and faced the smiling blonde with a trace of saliva on his lips

 **"…you put on a damn good show, you know that? I thought you were serious with her or something"** she finished, looking away

"who says I wasn't?" he asked, pulling her into a hug and scratching her head. She pulled away angrily and faced him **"What do you mean? I thought you loved** _ **Me**_ **"  
**

"I do" he replied, walking towards her "but you can't expect me to mistreat my guest because you don't like it do you?...that's very selfish, Kuru-chan" he chastised, flicking her in the forehead with his index finger

 **"Of course I'm selfish! I want you only for myself! What's wrong with that?"** she asked, tone growing sadder, expecting him to understand the way she felt. She felt someone hug her from behind and looked down in embarrassment…her bust was really big compared to hers…

 **"Aww…look at you go Kurukyuun. I'm going to need his affection too you know…I've been alone for years now and he's the only fun thing I have around me so learn to share"  
**

 **"I don't want to…"** she whispered even though she knew it wasn't going to help the situation

 **"Well, I guess we'll deal with it when we get there. I expect…More…If you want me to be all yours, Rutokyuun"** she winked at the boy and started poking her sister's bust, making fun of her

*Pow*

"…as a sister, don't you think that was a little too much?"

*Pow*

 **Next morning – village outskirts**

"Sensei…I fail to see why _You_ have to help him with his dirty chores" the boy argued, arms crossed over and a look of anger on his face. He sent the Hidan a look of disdain and looked back at his teacher pleadingly "Let him clean up his own mess, sensei. You can train me while he's doing whatever!"

*Thwack*

"The ingredient he needs for the proper sealing is sealed and protected carefully back in his home village Naruto-kun. Have some understanding since it is for _you_ and your complex seal. Now thank Hidan for going through so much trouble for you" he ordered. The boy had a face of utter despair as his sensei betrayed him. After regaining his composure, he acquiesced and turned to the scythe wielder, bowing reluctantly

the training spot took one hell of a beating from the jinchuriki after the two Akatsuki seniors left the area. He beat an army of one hundred clones ruthlessly, utilizing his real arms and chakra arms perfectly to disembowel and obliterate his enemies. By the time he was finished, he was out of breath and noticed the setting sun. too tired and lazy to walk back home, he summoned a clone and gave him the orders "Throw me back to the village"

The clone created a big chakra arm and grabbed his maker. He started to spin for momentum and threw his maker with all his might. When he looked at his maker fly, he noticed the setting sun was on his left whereas it was supposed to be on his right if his trajectory was aimed for Kirigakure. He scratched his head and waited a few minutes before dispelling and giving this unfortunate bit of news to his maker

 **?**

'Well…could be worse'

He looked around at the bustling city filled with casinos and red light districts. The town shined brightly and he spotted it even before he landed in the dark forest. The light gathered tourists, visitors and anything attracted to light from miles away. He was walking towards the inn when he saw a familiar busty blonde carried by a girl with short black hair and followed by…a pig?

"Dammit Shizune let go *Hiccup*. I lost to a brat. I deserve to die *Hiccup*"

"Now now Tsunade-Sama. Maybe you were seeing things since you _did_ drink before the invasion began, right? Tsunade-Sama? TSUNADE!" she screamed but the blonde had passed out

"Aherm…excuse me but you seem troubled, miss. I am also heading towards the inn. Would you be kind enough to give me the honor of carrying your beautiful friend?" a short blonde boy stated, his head lowered in respect and a polite smile on his face

 **'Damn, human...You don't have to take paper woman's teachings** _ **that**_ **seriously'  
**

Taken aback by the boy's attitude and manners, she nodded and watched the boy summon two shadow clones. Each hung one of the woman's arms over their shoulders and helped _drag_ her to the inn. Meanwhile, the girl called shizune tried to make conversation with the boy

"Thank you, sir. You really helped me ou-"

"Forgive my interruption miss but I must ask you your room number" he asked with his head, once more, lowered in respect.

"Oh, sorry" she chuckled in embarrassment and guided the boy and his clones to their reserved room. Putting the woman down on her bed, they walked out and she thanked him once more.

"You are very welcome miss. If I am of no more use, I'd like to be on my way"

"Oh please. Allow me to treat you to some dinner at least. I have a few questions for a cute boy like you" she winked as she said the last part, causing the blonde to blush and look away

"I-"

Not waiting for an answer, she dragged the boy to the inn cafeteria and ordered beef Ramens

"Well? What's your name, Gentleman?" she said, stressing the word _gentle_

"I apologize for my rudeness miss but I must ask a question if I am to answer one. It is my…well…style if I may put it that way. But seeing as it is only right that I give you my name since I know yours…Uzumaki Naruto, at your service"

"It's alright, I understand. You're a ninja after all. But I've never seen someone use Ninjutsu to help except Tsunade-Sama" her look grew distant when she mentioned her master. Seeing this, Naruto looked away and noticed the pig from earlier approaching them

"Tonton" She exclaimed as the pig jumped onto the table. He blinked in confusion when she started explaining to the pig how he had helped carry Tsunade into her room. When she finished, she noticed Naruto's blank face and shook her hands defensively

"Tonton is a special pig, Naruto-kun. She's very intelligent"

He stared at the pig and the pig stared back. This went on to the point it got uncomfortable for her and she asked the waiter if Their order was ready  
After a long inner struggle, the pig lowered its head like Naruto did and walked away

"Tonton?" she asked as she watched the pig walk away "What did you do Naruto?"

He swayed his hand in front of his face, looking away and shrugged absent-mindedly

 **'wow…shrugging. Evolution complete I guess. You reached new ways of showing your disinterest in the world, Rutokyuun'  
**

"I apologize if our interaction disturbed you, Shizune-san"

he nodded in acknowledgement when the waiter brought their bowls and whispered _itadakimasu_ before starting to eat

"Your mother must be very proud to have raised a nice boy like you, Naruto-kun"

"I never met my mother" he stated monotonously, taking her by surprise

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I didn't mean to…" she trailed off and stared at her food

"Shizune-san. Please don't feel bothered. You had questions for me?"

She did not seem to listen as she continued to stare at her bowl of ramen. Sighing in frustration, he changed his seat and sat down next to her, taking her by surprise

"Naruto-kun what are you-"

"It's okay Shizune-san. I'm not the first to grow up without parents nor will I be the last. Now, since you are reluctant to ask me questions, I will ask you…" he trailed off, staring at her features. She had an innocent look about her. He had to be very gentle because she looked back down with a blush after his stare continued for too long

"Shizune-san…why do you tolerate your master's behavior? She seems like she drinks quite often"

she shook her hands defensively once more and smiled nervously

"she's not always like that Naruto-kun. She's just been a bit unlucky recently. She kept mentioning a boy who managed to out power her…" she trailed off once more.

She clearly had a lot on her mind…

"I'm not satisfied as you didn't tell me why but...i accept the answer to my question. Your turn, Shizune-san"

"Why do you keep calling me _san_ when I call you _kun_?" she asked almost instantly, taking him by surprise "It makes me feel weird Naruto-kun"

"Well…it's clear of course…I don't have permission" as the words left his mouth, he smiled and held her hand, causing her blood to run to her cheeks

"My next question is…may I address you informally?"

She swallowed nervously and nodded, not taking her eyes off of his blue orbs. They seemed to draw her in and drown her the way they glinted mischievously

"Shi…" he pulled her hand up closer to his face, not breaking his eye contact "Zu…" he almost whispered, her hand in front of his face "Ne…" he pulled her hand closer and left a chaste kiss on her knuckles "Chan" he winked and smiled innocently when he finished. Her face was unnaturally red by now, to the point that even her ears were red. He chuckled in amusement and let go of her hand

"I'm sorry Shizune. I seem to have done something horrible and abused your pure feelings by playing a little trick on you. Are you mad, shizune..." he looked at her red face and bit his lower lip before saying the words that seemed to push a button in her belly "chan?"

"Not At All Naruto-kun!" she blurted, almost shouting. Seeing her mood change for the better, he decided to resume his dinner

"It's your turn to ask questions. Please pick carefully because I only have one question left"

she ate a bit of her ramen while contemplating and finally chose her most desired question amongst her other curiosities

"Could you explain your arm-band, Naruto-kun?"

The air grew colder and they both stopped eating the ramen. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and put down his chopsticks before closing his eyes and wearing a face of regret and pain

"I defected from my home village, Konoha, because I need more power. I have something…someone very precious to me that I must protect. Just like you do with Tsunade-san"

opening his eyes with a blank face, he stood up and turned to leave before she recovered from her inner musings

'Well…that put a sour taste in my mouth' he thought to himself as he walked upstairs to the floor his room was situated in

 **'Oho?...was the precious something by any chance,** _ **me**_ **Ruto-kun?'  
**

Smiling as he felt her prisoner's evident joy in her tone, he opened the door and walked towards the shower he desperately needed

he finished his shower in ten minutes and slept for an hour before exiting the inn and walking through the ghost town that had replaced the former bustling one in the grey late night air, accompanied by his soulmate's constant ramblings about what he said.

 **'It's me right? I remember how you changed your mind when Itachi said he can help keep your bijuu preserved'  
**

the boy's silence as he walked through the dark forest did not falter her enthusiasm

 **'Ah wow. I never thought I'd love a weak measly human. A teenager at that too'  
**

"hey" he grumbled in annoyance as he passed a pack of wolves

 **'so this is what it feels like to be loved back…ahh…it feels soo~ good'  
**

He turned back towards the advancing pack and snarled in utter annoyance as he tore through each of them, each more ruthlessly than the last as she continued her rant

 **'I have someone very precious to me I must protect…and you said it with such a pained face ruto-kun'  
**

"Rah!" he shouted as he broke the jaws of the wolf previously at his throat

 **'I love you too, Uzumaki Naruto"  
**

"Dammit!"

The next day, a group of people, who were running away from their town as it was being torn apart by an angry blonde, who started breaking things when her friend told her about last night's events, noticed a dozen mutilated wolves and a single crater in the midst of the gory scene

 **?**

"Lord oroch-"

"Silence Kabuto! I did not flee from the brat. It was a simple strategic retreat. I did not expect him to be with _her_ " he whispered the last part to himself

 **?**

"Thanks for the info, Gamakichi. Say hi to your dad will ya?"

"Sure gramps. See ya"

'She certainly made it easy…I wonder what happened…'

 **?**

"I see…" The man in Akatsuki robes whispered to himself as he stood up from his meditative position

"Change of plans, Hidan. Pein-sama has decided to absorb both Bijuu as soon as possible"

"What the hell? Then why the fuck did I come out here for you dipshit?"

"Orders, Hidan. We are to retrieve Naruto and Gaara and return to base immediately

 **?**

"I have done as you commanded" The man with ripple patterned eyes said to a figure in the shadows as he kneeled in front of him.

"Good…" an old voiced whispered "He will be my eyes and ears from now on"

At his command, a man with a spiral orange mask appeared out of thin air and waved his hands in the air energetically

"Tobi is a good boy!"

"…dammit tobi not now" the older voice chastised

 **Sometime later – Akatsuki Hideout**

The group of S-ranked missing nin circled around two unconscious boys, a look of confusion evident on their features

"Pein-sama. What is the meaning of this?" the treasurer of akatsuki, kakuzu asked the question on everyone's mind. The leader cleared his throat and answered with a tone of authority

"I came to the conclusion that keeping the jinchuriki in akatsuki would bear grim results. Not only would it be a huge risk to further customize the seal, keeping him and training him would be an even greater risk. I don't imagine him accepting willingly and without a fight when we tell him what _preserve_ actually means. Are there any objections?"

"What about the kyuubi's chakra? You previously stated that we had not gathered enou-"

"There will be more than enough if we drain his batteries dry, Konan" he cut in and finished ruthlessly, causing her to flinch at his cold tone

"Well then…let's get started. The ichibi's container will definitely not survive but the kyuubi's has a good chance. The seal already drained a fair amount of demonic chakra from him so his extraction will go faster. We'll start with the ichibi's as it is the most taxing. Itachi" he said, turning to uchiha-slayer

"I expect you to dispose of him personally when we're done with him"

 **Mindscape**

" **Ruuuuu. Tooooo. Kuuuuuuuuuuun"**

He opened his eyes and stared at the source of the annoying noise. He turned his head and closed his eyes again when she smiled innocently.

 **"Wake Up Dammit!"  
**

*Thwack*

"Why? What's wrong?"

 **"What do you mean what's wrong?! You've been here for a week and wouldn't wake up!"  
**

He looked at her with a confused look but grew more serious when he detected no signs of amusement on her face. This was no joke.

 **"What happened to you?"  
**

"I don't know. The last thing I remember is going to sleep in my room. Did we get sacked?"

 **"I doubt it. I don't know anyone who can sneak through your senso-"  
**

"Sensei…" he whispered, eyes wide in shock and disbelief

"He's the only one who can knock a bijuu out for a week…"

and without any further words, he held a ram seal and focused

He opened his eyes to find himself enveloped by a cloud of chakra. His eyes darted around to find the person responsible and glared at him when he found him

"Itachi-Sensei! What is this? What are you doing to me?"

"We are preserving the kyuubi as I promised, Naruto-kun"

the boy followed the man's pointing finger and looked at the cadaver of the red-head he had helped capture

"I sincerely hope that you fare better than him and stay alive when we're done"

he grimaced when red chakra started seeping from his stomach seal towards the _Gedo Mazo_.

 **'ruto-kun?'** his soulmate asked, worry leaking from her word

 **'I'm…ruto-kun…I'm disappearing'  
**

He screamed in pain as chakra started to flow from every pore of his body. He even felt chakra get sucked out of his mouth as he continued to shout in some desperate effort to soothe the pain that was burning him

"Hmm…it seems the statue has recognized him as the jinchuriki…that is good…things will be much faster now" itachi whispered to seemingly no one

"Tch…you're cold, man. I'm going to sleep. You deal with him" ise partner stated before turning around and leaving the teen's torture

The torturous extraction seemed to go on forever for the boy. Through his pain, the only thoughts that could invade his mind and draw a pattern on the blank paper of his imagination were those of his soulmate, the happy times he had spent with his new family…and the look on itachi's face when he betrayed him. He didn't know when or how but his brain finally shut down from all the pain and rendered him unconscious, much to the relief of a certain young woman who looked away every time the boy caught his breath only to scream harder than before

' **Naruto-kun'  
**

'stop…don't leave'

 **'I can't…I'm sorry'  
**

'you can't do this to me! If you leave I will never be the same! I'll never recover from this you know that'

 **'it's out of my hands, Naruto-kun'  
**

'please…'

 **'I love you'**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Brand New Foggy Day**_

"The results were…unexpected. The Gedo Mazo stopped responding after devouring the nine tails. Lord Madara, how would you have us proceed?"

"Halt your activities for the time being, Pein. We've already drawn too much unnecessary attention by taking two Bijuu at once. The next time the Akatsuki makes an appearance it will not be in the dark"

"And the Gedo?"

"Leave it. It is simply reacting towards the huge amount of chakra it just devoured. It is not used to it yet…the next time it feeds on demonic chakra, it will not hibernate. Three years from now, we shall celebrate its awakening by feeding it another Bijuu"

"Yes, Lord Madara. Is there anything else?"

"Hmm…what happened to the Jinchuriki?"

"The one tail carrier died. He did not survive the ordeal. The nine tail carrier however, barely made it alive"

"The Uzumaki's legendary longevity is nothing to laugh at. Where is he now?"

"Itachi is taking care of him"

"Hmm…the last time he took care a kid, he created a senseless avenger"

"The boy is of no concern, Lord Madara. He relied heavily on the Kyuubi's chakra. You were right in extracting it from him before he let loose more of its chakra"

"Indeed…that will be all Pein"

"Yes Lord Madara"

 **Elsewhere**

"Curses…Kabuto!" a pained voice shouted

"Send _them_ to get me the Sharingan. My time grows short…" he squirmed in his bed, showing the great stress and pain he was under before he continued

"send Kimimaru as well… I want him here as soon as possible"

 **?**

The man in Akatsuki robes dropped the blonde teen at the entrance of the ruined village and shook his head unconsciously. He never expected that one day, fate would force his hand to do this again. But he needed to make sure. He stepped on the boy's arm and put the necessary pressure on it to awaken him

"Itachi-sen…what do you want?" he asked with a dead tone and a blank face. It wasn't like his usual robotic attitude. This time, it sounded grim. It was as if yesterday was a failure, today was the consequence and tomorrow would never come.

"Do you understand now, Naruto-kun?"

The teen looked away and stared at the ruined village that lied before him. The small huts were either severely damaged or too decayed by the passage of time to look habitable.

"It doesn't matter"

"It should. It's why you're here now, lying on the ground without a village to go back to"

"I just don't give a shit anymore, Itachi. I left that village because I thought I had a chance to start over and save Kurama if I came with you…preserving my ass, you manipulative bastard…you took her away from me…"

The rest of his ranting became a whisper as her memories flooded him

"You should care because…It's your fault, Naruto-kun"

his blue eyes narrowed as he looked at his ex-mentor

"What?"

"Tell me Naruto…why were you mistreated in the village you called home? Why were you always ridiculed? Why did you crave others' attention so much?" the boy's features grew darker and grimmer as memories came flying back "why did your seal have to be ruined, Naruto-kun? Why did you have to lose the ones you held precious? Isn't the answer to all my questions simple enough?"

He shook his head and the man chuckled before activating his Sharingan

"Because you're weak, Naruto"

He stood in a dark street next to his ex-mentor and looked at the little blonde boy sitting alone on the bench and hugging his knees, sobbing to himself

"Remember the past you've swept to the back of your mind"

"Of course…" he spoke with a distant look, speaking unconsciously "I remember crying to sleep in the corner of…"

The scenery changed to a dark forest, wherein he was attacked by Orochimaru

"If only you were strong enough, Naruto-kun"

"If…only…" he whispered as he looked at the man attack his seal

this time, they appeared in Naruto's mindscape. It was grimly dark and desolate, no standing buildings in sight except the iron tower. No lights to shine upon a path except for the vibrant glow of the single standing building

"Is this…the place you call home, Naruto?" he asked, somewhat surprised. He knew he should have expected something as strange as the Akatsuki base or Kirigakure where they trained but this place...calling a ruined city in the desert his happy place seemed a bit far from sane

"Yeah…" he looked behind him, as if expecting someone to walk out of the rubble. He turned a corner, expecting to find someone hiding but his worried smile turned to despair and sorrow as no one jumped him. He fell on his knees and started sobbing, putting his hand on the piece of wall he would usually lean against with _her_ in his arms, expressing their passion and feelings for each other

"She was always so alone…" he whispered to himself "she had to live all alone, far from the people who called her a demon…just like me…"

*Smack*

He punched the ground and shouted in attempt to make his lungs breathe normally again

"But No! You Just Had To Take Her Away From Me You Bastard!"

"You're pointing your finger at the wrong person, Naruto-kun. She was your responsibility. If she is gone now, it is no one's fault except your own. Blame yourself and your incompetence for the pain you feel"

His Sharingan began to spin and Naruto sucked the air in, bracing for what was coming

"Damn yourself for your weakness, Uzumaki Naruto"

 _ **"Stop acting so bored, Human! You're in the presence of the great kyuubi"**_ **  
**

"No…stop"

 _ **"Rutokyuu~n. you're late. I demand a massage if you want me to forgive you"  
**_

"Don't do this to me!"

 _ **"You'll take good care of me, right?"**_ **  
**

"Please!"

 _ **"I'm your precious, right ruto-kun?"**_ **  
**

He covered his ears and fell on the floor of his mindscape, shutting his eyes and trying to escape the torture

 _ **"Of course I'm selfish!"**_ **  
**

His eyes snapped open at the memory

 _ **"I want you only for myself! What's wrong with that?"**_ **  
**

His jaw hung as he now realized what those words actually meant

 _ **'I love you'**_

Back in reality, away from the egregious illusion engulfing the boy, the white Akatsuki member shook his head before retreating into the ground

 **'As expected of a man who slaughtered his own parents and lover…'**

 **Konoha**

As the Hokage reached for her cup of tea, a crack appeared on it and her eyes widened in shock. 'what the…'

She shook her head and tried to go out for some fresh air but as soon as she stood up, the fourth Hokage's portrait fell down and the glass shattered loudly, drawing the ANBU

"That's it"

She opened a drawer and upped the bottle of saki, drawing a sweatdrop from his bodyguards

'This is it…I leave for more power tonight…goodbye konoha' the last uchiha thought to himself as he reached for the portrait of team seven. As his hand connected with the frame, cracks appeared on the glass covering the picture. Strange enough, the source of the cracks was the blonde's face. It looked almost as if a kunai had tried to pierce that part

A lone man with a mask covering his face and spiky long white hair stood before konoha's memorial stone. He turned to leave after an hour of standing still but looked down in confusion, noticing his broken shoelace

'that's a standard military anbu shoe…that can't be good…' he thought before shrugging and pulling out his orange book

"Oh god it's horrible"

"Someone tell tazuna-san"

"What wrong? What happened?"

"Tazuna-san! Look! The Great Uzumaki Bridge!"

"EH!?"

The old man almost had a heart attack at the sight. A deep crack that started from where he stood and continued to the other end, had split the great bridge in two. Regaining his senses, he picked up his megaphone and turned to the crowd

"Step Away From The Bridge! Get My Team Ready! Now!"

 **?**

"Feed on that hatred and grow stronger, Naruto-kun. I have high expectations of my pupil…"

The blonde laid still on the ground and had a spasm every now and then as his mouth and eyes were wide open in shock and despair. His usually gleaming eyes now void of any life, a dull blue that once had a spark of life in it thanks to very man who betrayed him.

 **?**

" **Lord Madara. I just received word from white Zetsu. Itachi has left the Uzumaki boy in the Uzushiogakure ruins. He also mentioned that Itachi used the Tsukuyomi on the boy for half an hour"  
**

"Pah…that Itachi and his sick fetish. First his little brother and now the uzumaki. He's making sure at least one of the two rises to take his life. Pay it no heed. The destroyed village has nothing left of its former glory…"

 **Uzushiogakure**

By the time the boy realized he was alive and breathing, it was midnight with the moon shining directly over him. He swallowed and coughed hard, his dry throat readjusting to its new uncomfortable state. After a familiar struggle to move his sore muscles and tired bones, he rolled over and used his hands to push himself up. He shook his head to get rid of the drowsiness and stood up

'Uzushiogakure….Uzu?' he thought to himself as he looked at the inscribing on the entrance door to the village

'is this…am I related to this place?'

He began exploring the ruins. Not much of an exploration though. Most of the buildings were destroyed beyond recognition and any that stood were too old to look safe to walk into. There was a river running through the village too, showing the reason the village was founded in the middle of nowhere. He finally found a house that looked habitable and settled in it. The house was strangely alienated from the rest of the houses since it was situated about half a kilometer away from the village center. He examined the rooms and was grateful that someone spared this house...or at least didn't notice it. It had only one bedroom but even that was more than enough for him. As he sat down, a puff of dust clouded his vision, showing how aged the house was. He went outside and created five shadow clones.

"Clean the house. I'm going to get dinner"

 **Next day**

He sat by the porch of his new house and stared blankly at a group of flying swallows. He groaned lazily when his senses detected a rabbit. The last thing he wanted to do was _eat_

'what do I do now?'

The lack of response put a frown on his tired face. He didn't get a wink of sleep the prior night. There was no longer any meaning to his life. No more village to rule. No more soulmates to enjoy spending time with. Even Shukaku was gone now

 _"You're too weak"  
_

Itachi's voice resounded in his head. He grimaced and sat in his meditative position. The more he tried to clear his mind, the more the horrible memories from his childhood and recent tragedies popped up

He held his face and shook his head violently as he whispered "He's right"

 _"Do you know why Itachi has a soft spot for you, Naruto-kun?"  
_

'Ko-nee-chan…'

 _"He has been surrounded by strong people all his life Naruto-kun. Seeing you kicks his big brother instincts back to life"  
_

'Hah…some big brother'

 _"He wants you stronger so that you don't feel pain anymore"  
_

'he told me alright…'

 _"He believes that to do good or bad, you need power. You're neither kind nor evil if you're weak"  
_

'I see his point but…I don't want to become like him…'

 _ **"Ruto-kun"**_

*Smack*

he pulled his fist out of the ground and looked at it questioningly. He wasn't putting any chakra in his fist so why did that happen?

He examined the dirt and realized the ground was softer compared to the area around it. He continued digging until he reached a buried signboard. He sighed in defeat when he pulled out the ordinary board. He was expecting some scroll or anything that would reveal a new path to him but no, it was a signboard with 'Namikaze' scribbled on it. He flipped the board and sighed once more. 'Kushina's lover. Back off Bi…well…whoever she was that wrote this here knew how to speak colorfully' he nodded to himself and put the board away. He turned to his new house and contemplated just how serious his situation was. This was probably someone's love hut. Not just anyone either. This Namikaze didn't sound like he was from this village. He created five shadow clones and started searching the house for any diary or scrolls that would shed some light on the previous owner's life

 **Night**

"Dammit!"

An entire day's worth of hard work rested in front of him. A diary with childish paintings and drawings. He flipped through the pages and gritted his teeth in annoyance

'The hell is a Rasengan?' he thought as he stared at a certain picture. The lines and illustrations focused on the drawn palm and turned to a sphere filled with more lines. He shook his head and flipped through a few pages, reaching something that caught his eye. 'flying…thunder god…hmm…sounds familiar…and a bit too flashy…'  
he looked at the pictures of an abnormal three-pronged kunai and a page full of seals and writings. He closed the book and hit his forehead with his palm. "Couldn't you focus more on writing your research rather than writing about your love-life, Namikaze?"

He looked at the book with disinterest at first. After a few moments of arduous deliberation, he came to the conclusion that he had absolutely nothing else to do so why not?

He entered his humble house and began flipping through the pages. At first it was just childish daydreaming but as he continued to read further on, he began to see the writer's point.

'…to be the hokage one day huh…then what the hell were you doing way out here?!'

" _Living with Kushina is like a dream come true. His family is giving me the cold shoulder but I guess I can somewhat understand. If I had a daughter like her, I'd be reluctant to give her to a weak looking man too. I already know how girly my features are. She calls me Mina-chan sometimes. I can't complain though. I like it when she's the one who calls me mina-chan. Living here on this island with kushina is really peaceful. I wish it could last forever. It's like a fairytale. Me and my love on an island"_

'…this is an island?!'

 **Konoha**

"The hell do you mean you can't find him?!"

"We apologize, Hokage-sama. The Uchiha was nowhere to be seen and the nurses sent the report as of this morning"

"Well gather a team dammit! I don't care if we're still rebuilding the village. Get me a list of the Genin who participated in the Chuunin exam. They're probably the best chance we've got to retrieve him"

She cursed her bad luck. Of all the times for the copy-cat nin to be absent, now was not the time.

 **Suna**

"Wow. Congratz bro. or should I start calling you hokage-sama?"

"Cut it out Temari. I was chosen just cuzz I'm _his_ son. If Gaara was here, they'd pick him in a heartbeat"

"Well, whatever. Sucks to be you, kankuro. The council's going to question your every decision because you're the youngest kage ever"

He groaned and shook his head in defeat. He couldn't wait to reach the legal age and start drinking…

 **Oto**

'Curses. My body is decaying faster than I anticipated. At this rate, I'm going to need another vessel before Uchiha…'

 **Kumo**

"Behold for the king is back in town! All I'm missing is my cape and crown" rhymed a dark-skinned white-haired male as he walked through the village, earning dozens of glares and clearly audible groans

in the tower, a more vigorous man sighed in frustration of what was coming.

"Better get this over with already…move it Yugito. I'm not the only one who has to suffer"

"Yes, Raikage-sama"

"Oh and he'll be teaching you how to control the two tails so show some respect"

To say she felt betrayed was an understatement. It wasn't even shaming. It was just downright cruelty for a sinful crime she never commited

"I've been informed that the nine-tail and the one-tail were abducted and are missing…train hard, Yugito. This village needs you and B"

 **Uzu**

"Well…not bad I guess"

He stared at the spinning orb of chakra in his hand. It made a whooshing sound as it spun in accordance with the concentrated circulation flowing from his palm. He approached the closest tree as he maintained the orb and took a deep breath before he tested his new jutsu. The result was unsavory as he was sent spiraling backwards after the orb exploded when it came into contact with the tree

"Well…not bad I guess"

 **Oto**

"Hello Sasuke-kun. I trust your journey here was pleasant"

"Hmph. Your useless escorts lost to a team of Genin. It makes me doubt my decision, Orochimaru"

The man covered in bandages used his only visible eye to send a death glare towards the white hair remaining from his escort team

"Kimimaru-"

"I apologize for my incompetence, Orochimaru-sama. Punish me however you please"

"…Go back to your room, Kimimaru. You look worse than me right now. I will deal with you later"

 **Uzu**

He lied in the water, the moon's reflection on the lake providing him with the light he needed to read the journal

 _Jiraya-sensei dropped by today. He showed us the book he was working on. The character is very likeable. Naruto…kushina thinks it's a cute name if we ever had a son. She thinks our son will have my girly features. She also hopes he gets my genes more than hers. Silly kushina…I'd love our son even if he ended up like orochimaru-sama…maybe that's stretching it too far_

He re-read the passage for the umpteenth time. Every night, as he rested, he would open the journal and read the diaries of the man he found to be his father, the Yondaime Hokage. He flipped the pages forward to another passage he enjoyed reading

 _My training is almost over. With my swift release and the Uzumaki's help, I managed to master Hiraishin. Now I can return to the village with pride and defend it against Iwa. I insisted that kushina stays here but she didn't budge. She's coming even though I used my cold demeanor to intimidate her. No one has stood before my gaze before…she really is one of a kind. I don't think I'll ever forget her hand's warmth on my face when I ordered her to stay. "Stop crying you idiot" she said. I was shocked when she wiped the drop of tear on my cheek…I couldn't believe she broke through…ever since mom and dad died, the loneliness was the only thing that made me cry. Today I cried for a different reason_

He closed the book and sighed heavily. He hated getting to the mushy part. He had inherited his father's detachment but to think someone had broken through to him…

 _ **'Rutokyuun'**_ **  
**

His eyes snapped open and the book almost fell from his hand into the water. He put it away and sunk his head under the cold water to calm himself

 _ **'What do you mean? I thought you loved Me'  
**_

he stuck his head out of the water and gasped for air after a minute under the water

 _'_ _ **It's me righ-'  
**_

He tried his best to keep the thoughts from pervading his mind. he held his head with his hands as more memories rushed through, addling his mind further _  
_

 _ **'so this is what it feels like to be loved back…ahh…it feels soo~ good'  
**_

His scream echoed as he pulled his hair in grief, pain gripping his chest as the memories returned. Tonight would be no different. The memories he shared would invade his peace once more. He would be forever haunted by the love and value he held for the demon sealed within him

 _ **'I have someone very precious to me I must protect…and you said it with such a pained face ruto-kun'  
**_

"I'm sorry…I failed" he whispered, tears falling into the illuminated water. Every night, he would face the promise he made. Every night, he would suffer for breaking it. Every night, he would see his iron tower crumble a bit more. And every night, he would grow older as the chasm within his mindscape would grow larger

 _ **'I'm…ruto-kun…I'm disappearing'  
**_

His arms fell limp, crashing into the water and he laid back, allowing the flood of nightmare to kill him slowly. Steam came to life as his body's rising temperature fought against the lake's cool soothing water. His twitching eyelid signaled the start of the nightly torture

"kuru…kyuun" the dead tone whispered, the husk replacing the now Sixteen year old teen. The breeze ran through his colorful hair as tears trailed down his whiskered cheeks. The years he spent here had taken a toll on him. His longer hair was a mix of white and yellow. The whisker marks had faded somewhat, a sign that time was erasing the demon's physical effect on his body. In the two years that he spent alone in this island, half of his day would be living and using his mother's family's remaining scrolls he managed to find after pillaging the remaining houses to train and the other half, he would try to survive the rush of memories that would threaten to kill him with anguish. He once tried to suicide by ripping his guts out but apparently, his family's hyper regeneration and the kyuubi's gift chose otherwise. He was both grateful and mournful for the enhanced chakra control his demon had left him with. Sometimes, the nightmare would even come to him as he trained but it never skipped the nights

as dawn came around and after hours of twitching and remembering their passionate love sessions, he stood up and checked his reflection in the water  
"Hah…Gaara would be proud" he remarked as he ran a finger over the dark lines under his eyes

he disappeared in a flash of yellow and reappeared in his house, wrapping himself with his dad's towel. He walked through the papers on the floor, signs of his effort to master seals through enhanced calligraphy, towards the closet to pick one of his dad's clothes. They started to fit him after his first year in the island. He didn't dislike the man's taste either. It was mostly blue but he settled for it. After all, blue was as good as orange when you're stranded on an island in a ruined village. He _flew_ back to the river and picked the diary up, returning and scribbling on it before he got into gear and headed out

 _Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto was here_

He reached the beach and took one last look at the map of the continents in his hand before throwing it away. Taking a deep breath, he channeled a great amount of chakra to his ram seal before it turned to a cross and a clone appeared next to him, wearing the same blue pants and white shirt as him

"you know what to do"

the clone nodded and they both jumped up

"Chakra cloak"

 **Shoreline**

It's an insipid day for the local fisherman as he stared at the still water in solitude. He woke up to his routine breakfast, said his routine greetings to the people who routinely passed by him and routinely sat in his special spot by the shore rocks, spending the remainder of his years trying to grab the fish that would make all his routine work, worth it. As he stared at the still blue, he remembered the first and last love of his life. His adventurous life as a mercenary led him to this town, the most peaceful small town of the known world and fate deemed that he would meet his better half in this almost derelict seaside village. It was also his mercenary life that took her life, a result of his client's enemy's vengeance. Oh how life had taken its toll on the ex-mercenary. Even though he lived his days knowing that he would probably die alone and in this spot, he cherished the heartwarming memories he shared with his love. A deep sigh escaped his scarred lips as her face flashed before his eyes. His grip on his fishing rod loosened, a sign of his desperation in life.

"I wish…"

not a moment later, a whooshing sound caught his attention. He stared at the flying kunai as it came across the vast blue and landed on the sand. He looked back into the horizon, trying to find the source of the kunai but all he saw was the blue. He looked back at the kunai and dropped his rod at the sight of the boy that was picking the kunai up. The boy sent him an apathetic look, one given to a wall that's out of place and plastered a smile on his face that made the man sweat drop. It was too fake…

"Good day, uncle"

"I'm not your uncle" was his gruff reply

"Where are we?"

"The beach"

"…" his smile disappeared but his dead stare remained

"you really wanna play smartass with the guy who appeared out of nowhere?"

"You're in the most eastern part of the land of fire"

"uh-huh. Which way to Mizugakure?"

"…east"

"…" a frown appeared on the boy's face

'dammit…I knew that stupid map was too old to be reliable. It only had five countries…'

"So…I think you should go back to where you came from. I actually thought you were a Mizunin since you came from the same direction as the village"

"*Sigh*…whatever. Shadow clone"

Now the man had seen some crazy things in his lifetime. He once used to work with a man who took the hearts of his foes to become immortal and his body seemed to be using wires rather than vessels. But never had he seen someone use extensions of his chakra to create solid blue hands and form a seal and use them to perform Ninjutsu.

"We fucked up. Send me back" he ordered the clone

without further ado, the clone aimed his arm at his maker and the giant blue arm that protruded from his body grabbed the maker. The arm flew back before it whipped forward, sending the original flying like a canon. The clone stared at the fisherman and scratched his head in contemplation

"I suck at this…so uh…no one's going to believe you so if you care about your image and don't like being called insane, forget you saw anything"

"…you're right. You suck at this"

 **Konoha**

"If there still hasn't been any sign of him, I want you to focus on finding Orochimaru, Jiraya"

"But Tsu-"

She slammed her hand on the desk to illustrate how serious she was

"It's almost time. He'll make his attempt to devour the Uchiha. If and when that happens…we're fucked, Jiraya"

"….yes, Hime"

"Call Sakura on your way out. It's her last day of training and I won't have anyone to play with anymore"

"don't you mean _train with_?"

"…call her over on your way out, Jiraya"

"….yes, Hime"

 **?**

"Well…at least I can recognize the damn fog"

He picked his kunai out of the sand and started heading into the mist covered lands in hopes of a new place to call home. The war ridden nation was his best bet of finding a new place to stay. He continued to follow the road and passed a few small villages on his way, asking for direction. After two days of nonstop walking, he reached the gates of the great village. One would have to wonder how he made it but this feat is nothing for an Uzumaki's stamina. The only thing that hindered him were the memories that would occasionally cause him to walk into a tree as he walked on autopilot. He approached the gates and greeted the five guards.

'Security sure is tight…unlike somewhere I can name'

"What business do you have here, Sir?"

"How's the war?" he asked bluntly. Clearly being away from society for years had taken a serious toll on the teen because that was not a question to ask with a smile

"All over thanks to the new Mizukage. Who might you be, _Outlaw_?" he asked, gesturing towards Naruto's slashed and rusted armband

"Isn't it obvious? I'm looking for a new place to call home. I have services that can prove useful to your newly founded village. Can I meet your Kage now?"

"Of course not" he deadpanned cruelly, not sparing the agonized boy's feelings

"Well…then what should I do?"

"We will report your presence to our Kage. By what name do you go around?"

"Err…I don't think it matters but Namikaze"

Ten minutes later, he was escorted to the Kage's office with five Anbu surrounding him. He sat on the chair and silently stared at the Kage's desk, not even bothering with the details or the outlook of the office. His patience wasn't running out either since he had absolutely nothing else in his list of priorities. After god knows how long, the doors to the room swung open and at the command of a familiar voice, the Anbu dispersed

"What joke is this? That last namikaze died when-"

she stopped talking and stared at the hunched figure that gazed at her work desk…also her second home

"you…Naruto? Uzumaki Naruto?" she asked with disbelief. She sat behind her desk and absorbed his new facial features

"What happened to you, Naruto? Your hair, your whiskers…"

After a heavy silence, his pupils finally moved and his blue orbs stared at her green ones

"I'd like to join the village. I'm fairly certain that my abilities can be of great assistance in the village's rise to compete with the other nations"  
For reasons he didn't understand, she looked offended

"You can at least say hi to an old friend you saved if not at least have some respect for your soon-to-be kage"

He stared at her for a brief moment before he blinked and his lips stretched in a small smile

"Terumi…Congratulations"

to him, she looked somewhat pleased but crossed her arms and looked away with an angry scowl

"How can you not recognize the single most wanted bachelorette in all of Kirigakure?"

"I didn't look at you" he deadpanned and she gripped her arms in frustration

"There's that attitude I love. On to business…"

she shifted in her seat and looked at him with his fingers entwined under her chin

"Why should I let you serve me, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"It's Namikaze…and I would appreciate it if you refrained from using my first name without my permission, lord Mizukage. And for future reference, a morose attitude is preferred for seasoned ninja"

His gaze was once more lowered and looking at the desk. His breathing was relaxed and there was no sign of fear or intimidation for someone who is an outlaw and in the presence of a kage that could kill him and take the bounty

"Then allow me to rephrase…why should I let you serve me, Namikaze?"

"Because my services can be of great assistance to you if you want this village to have a chance at making it. I think you'll need all the help you can get if let's say…a nearby military village like Kumo suddenly decided to pay a visit. This village lacks bijuu for political power and they have two…which is one more than yours and you can't even control him"

"you sure know how to run your mouth Namikaze. What makes you think you're so invaluable?"  
His blue eyes once more made contact with her green eyes and his mischievous smile unnerved her to no end

"I believe you know how competent I am, lady Mizukage. And if the Namikaze name rings any bells in your memory, you'll realize I am more than capable in upholding the name I've inherited"

"What would you do if I told you I can kill you right now and take the money to rebuild my village?"

his smile disappeared and he blinked in confusion

"I'm sorry but I don't understand your question…I'm pretty certain that you know i'll take half the village down before i get captured and even then, I don't get captured because someone in this village beats me. It'll be because I've exhausted my chakra reserves so…no lady Mizukage, I don't understand your question"

lack of human interaction…had taken quite a toll on him…

"Umm…I didn't get half of that but…I'll pretend I'm satisfied with your answer. What rank do you think you are?"

"Jounin" he stated in a heartbeat

She pulled out a scroll from the drawer and scribbled on it

"Very well…Namikaze-san. As of tomorrow, you'll be my personal bodyguard for an entire week. I need to trust you before I can give you any missions"

"you're not really giving me guard duty. You just want to make sure I don't go rogue and kill everyone"

"…you really need to stop being so blunt and robotic, Namikaze-san"

"I apologize if I said anything inappropriate"

"your appropriateness itself is too much and suffocating"

"I apologi-"

"ANBU! Take him to your headquarters, give him a room and watch him closely"

"Than-"

"Don't say another word, Namikaze. I hate robotic tones and attitudes. You're not allowed to speak in my presence unless I allow you to"

he nodded in acknowledgement. He was escorted out by the five anbu that brought him in. She let out an exasperated sigh as she leaned back on the comfy chair and stared at the ceiling

'shit…that's not how you treat your savior, Terumi! You need to make it up to him…but goddamn he's so robotic…shit…I even forgot to ask what happened to him'

"ARGH"

The citizen of the now peaceful village stared at the Desk that flew out of the kage's room with wide eyes and open mouth. It didn't seem like it would land anytime soon…

 **Next Day – Mizukage's office**

A knock on the door asked her permission to enter

"Enter"

The tall boy entered in his new Mizunin attire and bowed respectfully. The pinstripe shirt hugged his body stylishly and she almost wished he didn't wear the standard flak jacket. As usual, his soulless gaze was fixed on the ground. She stopped waiting for his greeting when he remembered his order from yesterday and the fact that he is a true robo-nin

"You may speak, Namikaze. Are you ready for your duties?"

"Yes, lord Mizukage"

"Great!" she said cheerfully as she went around the desk and walked through the doors

"I haven't had a relaxing walk in ages. Escort me, Namikaze"

"As you command…" he whispered and followed her closely

They walked through the village aimlessly…or at least that's how it seemed to him…for half an hour before they reached a Dango shop and she ordered two plates. She put one in front of him but he shook his head

"thank you for your generosity Mizukage but I am not hungry"

"well…what if it's poisoned?"

"…I doubt that. I had a clone watch him make it"

she shook her head and put a Dango in her mouth. Naruto on the other hand, entwined his fingers and closed his eyes as he rested his head on his hands. Her fingernails clawed at the table's top surface in frustration due to his lack of interest in humane conversations

'note to self…never have him as your personal bodyguard when chilling out'

"So cute…"

"I know…"

The distant whisperings continued as she finished her midday snack. At one point she almost sent the table flying when one of the girls made a comment about how the single bachelorette had finally seduced a Hottie

"Looks like you're breaking many hearts, Namikaze"

the silence held strong as they continued their walk through the shopping district

"Any comments?"

"I am not interested in citizen women"

"interesting. So you like strong women?" she unconsciously ran a hand through her auburn hair

"I admit that I am attracted to power my lady but who isn't?"

"Men mostly prefer a girl's fragile visage to a girl who's rough around the edges, Namikaze. Get that through your iron skull and learn how to behave if a girl one day confesses to you"

"Confess what my lady? If they find love in my appearance, I have nothing to give but my apathy"

"…keep quiet Namikaze. You're depressing me."

He nodded and continued to walk his kage around. They walked around until sundown and he escorted her back to the kage mansion. Once in the office, he sat on the couch when she gestured so

"I owe you an apology and a thank you, Namikaze"

following her last order, he kept quiet and stared at the wooden floor

"The last time…I um…the way I turned you down was very cruel. I should have been more considerate"

the silence continued and she made a fist with her hands when his breathing did not change in the least to show he was feelings any different

"And I thank you for taking care of me even after I shot you down…you can speak now"

He opened his mouth but no words came out. He shifted his gaze to the Kage and said the next words with a tone that seemed pained

"You were severely injured, mizukage-sama. You were not fully aware of your situation. There's nothing for me to forgive. And I remember asking for your permission before you fell in my arms"

her eyes widened and she felt her body heat rise as he said such piercing words

"I should be the one to thank you for allowing me to take care of you not the other way around"

he smiled and bowed his head and stared back at the wooden floor with a ghost of a smile on his lips. After a few minutes of delicious silence for the teen and addling musings for the lady, he spoke once more

"Am I dismissed for the day, lady Mizukage?"

"You're dismissed, Namikaze. You'll start active duty from tomorrow" she said with an abnormal pitch of voice

"Thank you, lady Mizukage…and by the way…" he spoke before he opened the door

"I'm honored that the female citizen believed I had seduced you, lady Mizukage"

 **Ten minutes later**

"Aiyah! Look grandson. Another flying desk from the main village"

"Wooooow"

 **Mizukage office**

"Report"

"The Namikaze…I don't think you should be so open around him, my lady"

"And why would you say that, Ao?"

"My lady…he's a complete enigma. At night, he starts shaking and crying, staying awake all night. That cannot be natural. His body must be crumbling from health deterioration but he's completely fine. His regeneration rate is monstrous"

"Is that all?"

"No my lady…what I fear more is that today…"

the man grew silent and a bead of sweat fell from his chin

"Speak Ao"

"As you started to walk around the village with the Namikaze, he had three clones on watch even though he…"

he grew silent once more and closed his single visible eye

"it's natural that he would do such a thing Ao. Will you tell me what's making my personal guard sweat or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"My lady! I used my Byakugan and saw why he was so relaxed around you. He had created a sphere of chakra directly below you. He was using his feet to keep connection to the sphere and dragged it wherever you went. Whatever he was using, he could intercept any attackers in a ten meter radius around you"

silence ruled the room as she stared intently at her personal bodyguard before she smiled and dismissed him

"My lady?!"

"I already know that he's a freak of nature, Ao. He could have killed me anytime he wanted but he chose to pledge himself to me…and I'm not going to look this horse gift in the mouth"

"…you are right my lady" he said as he remembered the first night he encountered the boy

 _"I could've easily killed her but I didn't. Please don't make this situation more complex and just take her away"_ _  
_

"If you trust the boy, so will I. goodnight my lady"

 **Next day**

"Well then…what type of mission do you excel at, Namikaze?"

'Assassination' she thought to herself

"Anything solo is guaranteed to succeed"

'…close enough'

"How about an assassination and retrieval mission?"

"If you allow it"

"Alright then. Namikaze Naruto. You are to handle the heretics who stole the forbidden scroll from the water temple and bring the scroll back to me and me only. The information you will need is in the scroll" she said as she threw the mentioned item at him. He caught it and bowed before exiting the room. He found the group easily with his sensory skills and killed each member silently, not seeing the point in wasting a good kunai when the neck can be broken with an enhanced backhand. He picked the scroll up and looked at the corpses lying on the ground

"Ah well…can't leave ex-monks lying out in the open. Sphere, Bury"

at his command, blue chakra arms came out of the ground and pulled the bodies down, burying the corpses and dragging them down to their eternal resting place. He whispered a prayer and started his long walk back home

as he reached the gates, he saw an unnerving sight that displeased him greatly. The client monk was pacing back and forth and speaking words he couldn't hear from his distance. What displeased the apathetic young man was the look on his kage's face. She was stressed and tired and the monk's _prayer_ wasn't working. He walked closer and let the man's eyes fall on him

"Where the fuck were you, pest? Do you know how long I've been waiting? Did you take your sweet time walking back here?"

'…must be a new religion' he thought to himself as he continued his walk towards his Kage

"Mizukage-sama. Mission accomplished. I have retri-"

"Give me that"

The monk reached for the scroll but Naruto used his advantageous height and held the scroll out of the monk's reach

"I'm sorry sir but I was commanded to give the scroll to my kage and my kage only"

"Stop messing around, Namikaze. Just give him the scroll"

"You heard your master. Hand It Over!" he barked in a tone he didn't like hearing from any man other than his sensei. Authoritative

he slowly lowered his hand and allowed the man to snatch the scroll

"Gah. The finan…I mean…the forbidden scroll. I must return to the temple immediately. You have done well, Mizukage. The high priest will be pleased"

He looked at his kage and studied her features as she dealt with the annoying creature whose face he forgot after looking at her. He understood that she had to take on anything because the village was newly founded but even this? He needed to ask about her strong motives. His curiosity would eat at him otherwise

 **Kage Office**

"Well done, Namikaze. The payment is transferred to your new bank account under your own name. You can withdraw anytime you please"

He stood still and stared at the ground, wearing his usual robotic visage

"…do you need anything from me, Namikaze? Or do you want another mission already?"

He looked up and to her surprise, spoke with a curious tone and a questioning face

"Why did you have to tolerate him, Mizukage-sama?"

"Wow…so he is human"

he fidgeted uncomfortably and scratched his head

"Just…curious"

"You're not familiar with the way the previous Kages brought up their Genin, Namikaze. We all had to go through something called the bloody graduation where we had to kill each other to become a ninja"

He nodded and looked back down

"I am familiar, Mizu-"

"Bullshit! What Do You Know?! I don't know what made your hair turn white or makes you cry like a baby at night, Uzumaki. But I won't allow you to stand there and say you know what I had to go through. What we all as a nation had to go through. You're dismissed"

The air turned cold and he gritted his teeth in futile attempt to control himself. His blood was coursing faster and his head was feeling heavier. His rage was building and he learned long ago that emotions only bring forth regretful actions

He bowed and walked out of the room, leaving the now fuming Kage to herself. She threw the desk out and breathed heavily with the rage that was turning to regret  
'Dammit Woman What Is Wrong With You?! Can't You Hold A Normal Conversation With Him?'

She looked around for something else to throw around and found a table with fruit on it. It would have to suffice for the raging kage  
'He was just concerned dammit! This is why you'll always be single'

 **?**

"Sir, there's another piece of furniture stuck in the trees. What would you have us do?"

The chief scratched his head and shrugged

"Don't look a horse gift in the mouth. Use whatever's left of it to make something wooden and give it to someone who needs it"

 **Kirigakure**

He walked through the village, looking for the new apartment he just bought

'the temple sure has money to waste…' he thought to himself. He had made first payment for his new house and received the key on the spot. It was a 3ldk as the man put it. He could use the spacious house…who knows what may come up

He finally reached his house and smiled like a kid at the sight. It was nice and homey, in a safe neighborhood. A new place to start a new life

he walked in and started cleaning the dusty house. As he cleaned the house, he chanted a grateful prayer that the house was so easy to find on the market at that price. Then again, in a poor country that has just recently gotten out of the gutter-

*Ding Dong*

the sound of the doorbell cut his train of thought and he stopped wiping the kitchen cabinet. He opened the door and raised both eyebrows at the sight

"You?!"

"…" he stared silently, eyebrows still raised and brain still processing what had just happened

"You're the new neighbor? What are you doing here?! Are you stalking me?!"

He silently moved aside and gestured an invitation for her to enter. She refused with a shake of her head

"I didn't want to bother the Anbu with my pathetic wailing anymore so I bought this place. The price was unreasonably good so i…" he trailed off

 _ **"Rutokyuun"**_

things could not be worse. He had to finish this fast or it would get embarrassing for both of them

"so I moved out. Thank you for welcoming me into the neighborhood Mizukage-sama"

"ah…yeah. Are you okay, Namikaze? You're sweating"

' _it's not meant to be'_

"I'm just tired, Mizukage-sama"

"you didn't look like you did anything tiring on your mission an hour ago in my office"

 _ **'It's her loss if she dismisses someone like you'  
**_

"Anyway…my house is pretty obvious. It's the biggest one in the neighbor so…you sure you're okay Namikaze?"

He could feel his body get heavier with stress…he was probably shaking and he didn't know it

"Thank you for the welcoming visit, Mizukage-sama. Goodnight"

"Good-"

*Slam*

"…night"

 _ **'I demand obedience tonight when you get here'  
**_

'Hah…you always had me to yourself…you must've been so hurt…I shouldn't have chased her with you around'

 _'Not to worry though kurukyuun. This goddess will not sway me from your crimson hair and rebellious glare'  
_

'I'm sorry I lied…I developed feelings for her…'

he sobbed into his hand and gritted his teeth in pain and agony

he regretted every moment he spent away from her. Thinking it over and over, he would realize more that she, like him, knew the pain of loneliness but he had only seen her as a plaything. A toy that gave him supreme powers. He regretted not appreciating her more…not kissing her more…not spending more time in her arms

 _He lied down in the sunny landscape with his head on her lap. She used her long fingernails to play with his hair and would occasionally cut him somewhere on his chest with the tip of her long claw like fingernail  
_

 _'would you mind not cutting me every thirty seconds?'  
_

 _ **"you're too cold rutokyuun. You need to give me more affection or I'll stop feeding you power"  
**_

 _'you use me as your toy everynight…'  
_

 _*Thwack*  
_

 _'you also use domestic violence'  
_

 _*Pound*  
_

 _'…I love you'  
_

 _*Thwack*  
_

 _"Stop hitting me"  
_

 _ **"saying it in that dead tone only makes me want to hit you harder"  
**_

 _he cleared his throat and smiled innocently  
_

 _"Please stop hurting me, kurukyuun. I know you love me but violence isn't the answer"  
_

 _he stopped the fist that was about to land on his forehead and lost his smile  
_

 _"What was that for?"  
_

 _ **"I'm boo~oored. Play with me"  
**_

 _"We 'played' last night…and it was nothing like playing. It was sexual harass-"  
_

 _*Thwack*_

He washed his face in the bathroom and stared back at himself in the mirror. He did not like what he saw. It was a dead man staring back at him. A dead man with red pupils and a sick smile on his face…after all…who would smile with tears running down his eyes

 **"Hello, Uzumaki. Had your fill of tears?"  
**

"What do you want?"

 **"How do you like your new village? Looks like everyone loves a blonde with blue eyes without a demon"  
**

"…since when do you answer a question with a question?"

 **"Since when do you talk to the man in the mirror?"**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Missing pieces are never found**_

Grimacing, he looked at the book, forehead wrinkled in deep concentration. He had studied sealing scrolls and found them to be much simpler than this witchcraft and wizardry

"Why would I let the meat simmer? I can just grill it and be done with it…"

he followed the book accordingly and after two hours of careful and detailed work, he stared at the beautiful meat fillet on his plate. He nodded with raised eyebrows in acknowledgement

"Not bad…looks much better than roast rabbit on a stick"

he took the plate and sat in the dining room, reading a book on everyday conversations as he cut the meat to pieces

'maintain eye contact and look away once every few seconds to help keep the listener focused on you. Do not stare too long for it is rude…hmm…this is delicious…Nod your head when the speaker is talking to you to show your attentiveness'

he finished the passage along with his lunch and washed the plate and cooking utensils afterwards. The holiday was a welcome break since it helped get him the rest and _education_ he needed. The world had not waited for him to get out of his shell. News reached the village that the snake Sannin was murdered by his pupil. He could guess who was capable of doing that…

he put the book back on the bookshelf and wore his black coat before walking out into the snowy neighborhood. He inhaled the cold air and smiled to himself as he put his hands in his pockets for warmth. It had been a very productive week for the newborn man. He earned his keep and respect fairly quickly the way he blazed through the missions that no one else would normally do. Especially the solo ones. Some questioned how he had managed to do some of the long distance missions in a single day but he enjoyed his enigmatic image. It would be trouble if word of Namikaze's revival reached certain ears. He walked through the snow filled streets, enjoying the sight of children throwing snow at each other. His faint smile disappeared when he felt something fly towards his head. The blue arm that had intercepted the snowball disappeared and he looked at the person who threw it

"Hello, Chojuro-kouhai. Enjoying your break?"

The shorter man smiled nervously and backed away in fear

"lovely day, isn't it Namikaze-senpai?"

"Back in my days, when someone started a snow fight, he had to finish it Chojuro. Get back in there and finish him!"

"Good day Ao-san. Would you like to join us for a game?" he said with a smile, eight blue arms around him carrying round balls of snow. The veteran also smiled nervously and backed away

"I didn't start one so I'll refrain, Namikaze. Enjoy your battle"

"as you wish, Ao-san. Chojuro…surrender or die"

his serious tone and gaze almost made it look like the blue haired man was about to die. He kneeled and raised his hands in defeat

"Hah. You can't die with snowballs, Chojuro. Don't bow to that robotic freak so easily"

"Mizukage-sama!" he looked at her with hopeful eyes

"good day Mizukage-sama"

"…where did you learn to smile and look at a person in the eyes, Namikaze? I know you're not doing this because you suddenly met your inner child"

"perceptive as always Mizukage-sama but I think I deserve a little praise for my achievement"

"Achievement? It's Everyday Conversation Ethic You Moron!"

He pulled his hand out and flared his habitual action

"there's that hand again! Back in my days, if someone had a bad habit no one liked, we'd kill him"

the air turned grim and dark as they stared at the veteran

"…I'm joking of course. Don't be so serious on a holiday weekend"

all laughed except the coat wearing man. He simply smiled in attempt to blend in

'what the heck's so funny here?...i don't get-'

his train of thought crashed when a snowball hit him in the back of his head. He turned and saw a little girl from the group of children frozen with shock. The other kids looked back and forth between the man with eight hands and the poor innocent girl with an even poorer aim

'so…what now?...do I hit her back?'

He waved a hello and tried to smile but the fakeness scared the girl even more. Relying on his last resort, he threw the balls he held and hit each kid in the face

"What do you think you're doing Namikaze?!" the Kage shouted "Everyone! We have a traitor. Attack!"

At her command, the group of kids plus the Kage and her bodyguards threw snowballs at him faster than he could dodge. Five minutes later, he was covered in so much snow that the kids started to make a snowman out of him

"Aren't you cold in there Namikaze-senpai?"

"Would you like to switch places, Chojuro-Kouhai? It's pretty hard, standing still and not shivering when covered in snow"

"I'll pass" he said with a nervous laughter

"Uncle. Could you hold your arms up? They're getting in the way"

"I'm seventeen, kid. That guy with the eye-patch is old enough to be your uncle"

"So…what do we call you?" she asked with a confused look

"Oni-"

"You don't call him anything dear. You just call him Robo-bro" the Mizukage cut in on Chojuro's suggestion

"Robo…bro?" she asked, even more confused

"Yeah. Robo-bro" she kneeled down and tousled her hair

"since he's such a senseless robot"

"senseless?" she asked quizzically, Her young and naïve brain unable to comprehend the word

"Senseless…you know…he doesn't get very emotional and he's very cold"

she turned to the blank faced snowman model with an inspecting look, trying to see if the kage is right

he couldn't stand the little girl's questioning stare and looked away, staring at the snow covered ground

"Mizukage-sama…wasn't that a bit harsh?" Ao whispered next to her ear

"It's fine. You don't care, do you Namikaze?"

he walked out of the pile of snow that covered him, drawing disappointed _aww_ s from the children as he walked away with his hands back in his pockets

"Look what you did auntie! You made onii-chan sad"

"Auntie!? I'm not that old!"

He continued his pleasant walk through the village until evening. What would have made it more pleasant was if the kage and her guards didn't try to find him. Evading them was easy with his sensory skills but…the hassle of turning back was a pain to him. He reached his neighbor and saw the girl from that morning with her parents

"Onii-chan!" she said too loudly and ran towards him. Surprised at the action, he looked around to see if she meant someone else. Unfortunately, he was the only one there and the way she hugged his left leg proved that he was the one called _onii-chan_

"umm…hi again" he said with a nervous smile and waved at the parents

"Are you okay, Onii-chan? Did the mean auntie make you sad?"

The concern in her voice confused him somewhat. Why did she care about him anyway? He hit her with a snowball and ruined her snowman

"Listen..uh…I don't think you should hang around me. Go back to your parents"

"I don't want to. And what do you mean I shouldn't hang around you? Why not?"

"Because i…" he trailed off and looked away

"let go of my leg. My neck hurts from looking down so much"

She did as told and took a step back, curious and questioning eyes boring deep into him

"I'm not a very nice person, little girl"

"yes you are! You played with me and my friends today" she said with a huge grin that split her face

"and you're so pretty, onii-chan. I like your yellow and white hair"

she took off her hat and let her crimson hair flow down to her waist

"but mine is much prettier than yours, onii-chan" she continued with a cheerful tone as she turned her hip in a childish manner

he covered his mouth in shock and stared closely at her features

'her hair…her attitude…kur-'

"Yuki-chan. It's time to go home sweety. Said bye-bye to onii-chan"

"aww…bye onii-chan. Let's play again sometime"

He sat on his sofa and kept thinking about the little girl he met

'yuki…'

 **'let me do you a favor and stop you right there bro'  
**

'…what do you want?'

 **'it's nighttime. I'm here to torture you of course, you weak fuck'  
**

he sighed in defeat. Having an alter ego that wanted to hurt you was a real pain in the-

 **'stop thinking about her, brah. You know you'll hurt anyone you care about because you're just too damn weak'  
**

he looked away from the television that he wasn't paying attention to and looked at the picture of kurama he had drawn. Looking at it seemed to calm him down and make his night pass easier…that didn't mean he got any sleep though. It was like he had forgotten how to do that

 **'don't get involved with her. You're no fucking onii-chan you deadbeat waste. You're like the freaking plague, man! A demon that hurts anyone who comes close to-'  
**

*Ding Dong*

 **'Hah…saved by the bell'  
**

'you never shut up…'

he already knew who was behind the door so he looked at the mirror and tried to plaster the perfect smile on his face…and failed miserably when his alter ego's sick smile came to view and showed him the middle finger

groaning, he opened the door and greeted the auburnette

"greetings Mizukage-sama. To what do I owe this pleasure to?"

"You can at least let me in, Namikaze"

doing as told, he opened the door further and let her Kage in. he did as he had read and took her blue coat off and hung it

"Damn this place is clean. You really are a robot, Namikaze"

"thank you…I think"

she rummaged through his fridge and groaned in frustration

"Where do you keep the drinks, Namikaze?"

"…I'm seventeen, Mizukage-sama"

she shut the door after taking out two cup ramens and began heating the water in the boiler

"shouldn't you make dinner or something, Namikaze?"

"i…think you're already doing that"

"What? These? They're mine"

he let loose a frustrated sigh and took a piece of meat out of the fridge. The minutes passed by as she started talking about her work and how some of the clients were…she used many colorful words to describe them. He chopped the veggies for his salad in silence, waiting for the meat to simmer and listened to her rant while she started work on her second cup of ramen

"And those pompous monks! They're the worst. The pay is good but god they know how to get on your nerves, Namikaze…*sniff*…that smells good. What is that?"

"Dinner" he said blankly as he sat behind the table, the farthest seat from her with his plate of salad and cooked fillet steak. She stared at the food with a longing gaze and let a line of drool appear on the corner of her lip. The saliva dropped into the cup ramen and he closed his eyes while sucking the air between clenched teeth in disgust

"Namikaze…what else did your manner book teach you?" she asked as she switched her seat and sat next to him

"…would you like some, Mizukage-sama?"

"Don't mind if I do. You can have my ramen instead, Namikaze"

he sent a dead stare at the cup and shook his head in refusal

"I think…I'll just enjoy watching you taste my cooking, Mizukage-sama. Please tell me how it is"

"That…was…the best meal of my entire life, Namikaze. I wouldn't believe it if I heard about your cooking from Ao"

"Thank you…I think"

for some reason, he enjoyed watching her eat his cooking and praise it. Her voracious style of eating made him smile, either because it made him feel good to see her devour the food he made…or maybe because of the way she ate the food. Whatever it was, it left a good taste in his mouth and a sense of satisfaction ran through him.

She lied down on his couch, watching the TV while he cleared the table and washed the dishes

 **'nice going brah. You're hitting that, right? I mean hey…it would be a good payback for old times' sake'  
**

his pace of rubbing cloth on the washed dishes slowed down as he remembered the past. The idea of hurting her back did send a chill of joy down his spine

 _'emotions lead to an early grave, Naruto-kun. Don't forget that'  
_

 **'you don't have to listen to that sadistic fuck anymore. What kind of a teacher tortures his pupil before abandoning him on an island?'  
**

'He did it for my sake. He left me at my rightful birthplace so I would lear-'

"Hey Naruto. Can you bring me some water?"

He put the last plate away and went to give her a glass of water

"I would appreciate it if-"

"fine fine. I won't say your name, you happy?...freak…" she whispered the last part before sipping the water and changing the channel. He sat on the sofa adjacent to her and shook his head in disapproval

'the highest lady in the land isn't supposed to lie down on a couch like that…I can see her thighs for god's sake'

"to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Mizukage-sama?"

She turned the TV off and sat up, tidying her hair before looking at him with her emerald eyes

"I'm sorry for what I said today, Namikaze. It was very insensitive and improper"

all he did was blink in response and open his mouth but no words came out so he closed it

"I'll be frank, Mizukage-sama. I know you don't like me because my existence reminds you of the values you were taught as an academy student and I bring you painful memories but if you are going to keep apologizing for every time you say something offensive to me, I think you'll be saying sorry very often. You're a woman and as one, you have strong emotions and they sometimes get the better of you. More often when I'm around to grind your gears. My point is…if you have something to say to me, say it and get it over with" he said the last part as he cracked his index finger with his thumb. She was puce with rage at this point

"you think you can sit there and lecture me or tell me what to do, Namikaze?" she growled and stood up

"you have no idea how it feels to kill all your friends just to survive, Namikaze. I had to kill the weak girl in my class who I promised to protect. You can't imagine what I saw in her eyes when I put that kunai in her chest"

her eyes began to mist over as she took a step towards the apathetic seventeen year old

"you said you know. What do you know, Huh? What Do You Know?!"

At this point, she was holding him by the collar of his shirt

"Did you kill your best friend? Did you watch her die? Did you see that feeling of betrayal in her eyes?"

bereft of empathy, he shook his head and she threw him down back on the sofa

"That's right…you don't…so don't ever let me hear you or see you unless I have to bear your presence, Namikaze"

she wanted to get out of there before her urge to kill him took the better of her but his grip on her hand stopped her

"I'm not letting you leave, Mizukage-sama"

"What?! How Dare You?"

"when you leave and go back to your room, all alone, you'll think back on this moment and regret what you did…I think I understand that much of human nature even as a robot…so…I will…"

he picked up the cup ramen on the table and threw the content all over her. They stared at each other in a few moments of silence…

 **'I think you'll make things better if you show your honesty with a smile'  
**

he rubbed the ointment on the handprint that was burning on his face and clenched his teeth in pain

'last time I listen to you…'

"Namikaze! Where's the Body Lotion?!"

"Behind The Mirror"

 **'why do you even have that?'  
**

'It was in the shower section. I thought it'd come in handy one day…you're supposed to be my alter ego, why are you even asking me that?'

 **'just reminding you how pathetic you are'  
**

he put the first aid kit back in his closet and lied down on his bed, thinking of what to do next. He should probably experience the joys of lying on a couch… **  
**

"Hey. Can you rub some on my back?"

His unequivocal rejection earned him a fist in the arm from the bathrobe wearing kage

"Have some common sense, idiot. The kage is asking you nicely"

"The kage doesn't punch his jounin at two in the morning in his house while she's wearing his newly bought bathrobe"

"So what? I practically blessed your bathrobe. Don't be a coward and just do as I say"

without further ado, she handed him the lotion and lied down on his bed with her back exposed. He sighed in defeat and parted her auburn hair

"Be gentle, Namikaze. I don't let just anyone touch my hair and body"

 **'now's a good chance, brah'  
**

'…the last time I listened to you, I was hit in the face so hard, I flew into the TV'

he poured the lotion on her back and started rubbing it into her skin

"Oh god yes. It feels soo~oo good. It's good to have a reliable robo-nin with no lust around to help a girl with her chores"

he took her whispering as a compliment and continued rubbing her back until the lotion was completely absorbed and her skin glistened under the mellow lamp light

"I'm sorry…Naruto…for everything. You're much better than me at these things…you don't get emotional so you can control yourself but when I try to get close to someone…I just mess things up"

he pushed his fingers into her skin, rubbing the tired muscles and tissues

"I appreciate the massage but say something"

"my name…"

"I'm using it, so get used to it"

"…fine"

"you're a good friend, Naruto. Thanks…for tonight…for everything"

 **'I don't want to be your friend, bitch! I want to fuck your brains out'  
**

'hmm…I'm fine with that. It keeps things simple'

 **'…grow a pair, freak'  
**

After a few more minutes of massaging her back, he _accidentally_ pushed an exposed part of her neck and allowed her some peaceful sleep. After washing his hands with soap, he stared back at the red eyed man that glared at him

 **"what do you think you're doing, Freak? You can't get close with her…you can't be her friend. Or have you forgotten what a plague you are and how you destroy everything you love?"  
**

"You know…I think I liked it better when you tortured me with her memories. At least I got to see her. Now I just have to look at you and hear your disgusting voice" he said as he dried his hands and walked away

 **"well if you hadn't drawn that picture, maybe I could"  
**

"…what?"

He turned around but his own reflection stared back at him with surprised and confused eyes

for the remainder of the night, he looked at his drawing of kurama with her happy and innocent smile and thought about his ego's words  
'he's right…getting close will only cause pain when the time comes to part…'

he looked at the clock and started working on something for breakfast. He had two hours till seven…more than enough to make warm soup, rice and fried shrimp for his honorary guest

The sharp smell of grilling meat hit her nostrils hard, drawing her out of her delicious slumber into an even more delicious awakening. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she remembered what had transpired last night. The savory smell once more beckoned her to follow its trail and reach the source as her stomach growled in desperate need of food to digest. She walked through the hallway and into the kitchen with half open eyes and grinned sheepishly at the sight

"The apron looks good on you, Naruto. Why didn't you wear it last night?"

"…good morning Mizukage-sama. I didn't because I was too shocked and honored by your presence"

'I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or just a kiss-ass…and he doesn't look like either'

she pulled a chair and sat behind the table, hitting the table top with her index finger in anticipation of the feast

"your clothes are dried and on the couch, Mizukage-sama. I must visit the grocery store and will report for duty afterwards. Please leave the dishes where they are when you're done and head for the tower. Don't forget your coat" he said in his usual tone as he set the table for her and put a pair of chopsticks, fork and a spoon in front of her

"What about you?" she asked as she tasted the soup

'awesome!' she cheered and giggled inwardly

"I'm not hungry"

'you're never hungry, you freak'

he looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she smiled nervously

'did he read my mind?'

'…I think she just said something bad about me in her head…'

he pushed the thought away and entered his room to get in gear for work

After finishing her glorious breakfast, her attempt and failure to wash the dishes which ended up in breaking his plate and finally, wearing her robes, she walked towards the tower of pain that awaited her with the paperwork that was probably stacked two stories high due to the holiday and her day off

After three hours of dealing with paperwork, Chuunins and Jounins that asked for a mission and then even more paperwork, the only person that could make her smile after all that walked through the doors

"Mizukage-sama" he said with a bow

"Hello Naruto. Had a good mrning?"

He looked away with a frown

"What?"

"Nothing i…just…my clone dispelled and I think…you left your coat and broke one of my plates" he said and looked back at her with a demanding look

"How about an S-rank mission to make up for it?" she said with a smile and regretted it a moment later

'I can't believe you just blurted that out without thinking! What the hell, Woman?!' she chastised herself

'this should be fun…' he thought with slight interest and amusement

"I accept"

'Shit!' she thought with a nervous grin. She reached for the top scroll in the S-rank drawer and opened it, hoping it would be something safe

'S-rank? Safe? The hell are you thinking you idiot?' she chastised herself once more

"This just came in today. The Akatsuki have appeared again. They were seen yesterday in the temple of fire in the land of fire. That's a long way off and you'll be facing Kage-level missing nin. Do you accept, Naruto?" she asked with a hope of refusal evident in her tone. To her surprise, he had a shocked look on his face as he stared at the ground

'Akatsuki…'

 **'Haha…Vengeance…you know you want it Rutokyuun'  
**

"I would be honored, Mizukage-sama. It will no doubt help the others know how strong we are if I can defeat the akatsuki single handedly"

"What?!" she yelled and hit the desk hard, cracking it. He took a cautious step back and unconsciously reached for a scroll in the carrier around his thigh

"I'm coming with you"

"no, you are not Mizukage-sama. You're needed in the village. Sending anyone but me would be suicide"

"What makes you suitable, Huh? Just because you've been doing great doesn't mean you're invincible Naruto"

seeing her lose her temper reminded him of how emotional she got…and how selfish he sounded

"i…I'm not saying I understand but I think I know what you mean, Mizukage-sama. If I were in your shoes and you wanted to go after the Akatsuki, I would probably lock you up in a cell to stop you but…" he trailed off and scratched his head

"I…have a score to settle with the Akatsuki. Please find it in your heart to give me permission"

"I can't okay? I finally opened up to you and you want to go on a suicide mission and leave me alone? I don't want to be alone again!"

"I will not DIE" he yelled as he tapped his foot on the floor, breaking the wood beneath him

"I cannot die until all that remains of Akatsuki is just a bitter memory"

"What if I wanted you to stay for my sake? Will you still leave if I said I don't want you to?"

"…I'm sorry but…I think you're mixing professional life with personal life, Mizukage-sama"

she smiled sadly and shook her head before sitting down, a look of despair and defeat on her face

"I'm an idiot…I shouldn't have liked a robot like you, Namikaze"

 **'see? There it is again, Dick. You hurt everyone-'  
**

'Not. Now'

he picked the scroll up from the desk and looked at it. It was a blank stare. His usual inscrutable expression. He slowly put the scroll down and stepped back

"I'm sorry…Terumi. I'm not going anywhere without your permission"

 **'You sicken me, you disgusting freak. How can you even say that mushy shit with a smile on your face?'  
**

'I think I'll take my chances. Neither of us is weak…I think it'll be a good start'

'Hmm…I wonder if he can make me some meat loaf' she thought to herself as she picked the loaf and put it in her basket, next to the bottle of wine she had picked. She made her way to his house and kicked the door to announce her arrival. Moments later, her ace Jounin picked the bag from her and let her in

"What the…why is there wine in your grocery bag? And meat loaf?"

"You're cooking meat loaf for me of course. And the wine is for me because meat is just not the same without wine"  
he groaned in defeat and opened his cookbook

'Hmm…I have the seasonings…and the equipment necessary…yep. It goes great with wine…stupid book' he thought bitterly as he slammed the book shut and put his apron on. After taking care of the loaf and putting it in the oven, he started cutting up the vegetable

"Who eats salads anymore?" she protested behind the kitchen counter "you're such a grandpa…"

*CHOP*

he cut the cabbage harder than normal and left half the knife in the wooden slab under it

"I am not a grandpa, Terumi. You need the nutrients. Especially with your job"

"…granpa. Can I drink beer?"

"Of course not. You can't drink beverage with an empty stomach"

"…granpa…granpa naruto….granpa namikaze…Namijiji? Hmm…which one suits him the best?..."

"I can hear your whispering, Terumi"

"Good"

*CHOP*

*DING*

"Meat Loaf! Whoohoo"

he clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the poor tomato that was under his skillful hands

 **'…both of you are strong, huh?'  
**

'Shut up…'

"Ah god it's good to be alive"

he whispered a prayer of gratitude and started clearing the table

"Thanks…for staying. I really appreciate it, Naruto"

he scratched his eyebrow with his thumb in contemplation before flaring his habit with a genuine smile

"Don't mention it"

he picked her plate up and went to work on the dishes in the kitchen

'now's a good time as any...' she thought to herself, playing with her fingers nervously. She poured herself another glass of wine for courage and downed it in one go  
It felt like it took forever for the water to stop running, her signal that he was done with the dishes. A minute later, he came back with a glass of water that she would probably need like last time

"Naruto…why did you stay?"

He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb, apparently his new habit when he was confused and looked at her with a blank stare

"Because you wanted me to?"

"Is…that it? You stayed because your kage wanted you to?"

"Of course not. I stayed because you wanted me to. You said you had finally opened up to me so…i…"

"You stayed because you pitied me?"

The air turned cold and he glared at her, anger evident on his face

"How dare you…I stayed because I understand how hard it is to open up to someone and how it hurts to lose them. I stayed because I understood you and because I care about you"

He realized what he did when she looked away, her hair covering her face and leaving him confused about how she felt. he shook his head to clear it and continued  
"I'm sorry" he said with an apologetic smile

"I just…lost control…forgive me Terumi"

To his surprise, the next thing he knew, she was sitting on his lap and staring at him longingly

"Naruto…I think I'm having feelings for you"

 **'oh rutoo~ookyuun'  
**

the sadistic voice of pain came full force on the demented Jounin, causing him to freeze like a log from the tension **  
**

"I'm so scared…of these feelings…Naruto…"

 **'Didn't she want you only for herself? Well? Time to pick one rutokyu~un. Your first crush? Or the girl that haunts you?'  
**

He looked at her picture. It didn't help. Her head was coming lower and the distance between them was shortening and the rush of emotions was like a flood that broke a dam. His stomach was burning while his temples pulsed like they were extra hearts in his body

 **'Pathetic…you're so weak that you can't even say no'  
**

he felt her lips press down on his forehead. It was so soft and warm. The way her hands held his face was so caring, it was addictive for him. It reminded him of her. The way she caressed him. The way she calmed him down after a day with Itachi and his lectures

"Mei…" he whispered, closing his eyes when she pushed herself down on him. Any other person would have gone insane with need and desire by now. Her fragrance was like aphrodisiac and her warm soft flesh beckoned one's masculine primal instincts to life

"Take me Naruto…I want you to take me…"

"You don't know what you're doing"

she pushed herself down harder and started moving back and forth

"You'll regret this …" he said with a tone of melancholy

"I won't…I want this Naruto"

her movement picked pace and he could feel her part wet itself from the hip grinding

"That smell…" he whispered and looked at the bottle of wine. It was empty. He looked at her red face in shock but it was too late. She threw her arms around him and shouted his name in bliss. His face lost color much sooner than she lost consciousness. His first crush and Kage had just rubbed herself on him for pleasure and not only did he not enjoy it, he had to clean up the now soaking couch. He could only hope that the outcome of her romantic ardor would not bear any results that would scar their relation for life

 **'I don't know which is more pathetic…the fact that you didn't say no or the fact that you actually thought logically while she was rubbing off on you'  
**

'…you really don't have anything else to do, do you?'

 **'Of course not you Dick!'  
**

She yawned where she slept and spread her arms on the bed. Empty as usual for the most wanted single woman in all of Kirigakure

'when did I shower?...' she thought as she stared at the bathrobe that hugged her body

'ho…ly…shit'

she covered her mouth in shock and ran to the kitchen

"Naruto!"

He almost dropped the pan he was using to make sunny side up and looked at her questioningly

"It's not good to get up so suddenly. Blood won't reach your head and you'll blackout, Mizukage-sama"

'what a granpa…hey!'

"What happened last night?"

He raised an eyebrow before putting the sunny side up on a plate and putting it next to the toast on the table

"You don't remember?"

He opened the trashcan and showed her the empty bottle of wine

"I've also put a glass of water with the pills you'll need next to your toast, Mizukage-sama"

she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and sat behind the table, munching on his toast and looking at Naruto eat his vegetable soup

"I don't remember showering though…why am I wearing bathrobes?"

"You never bring any clothes with yourself, Mizukage-sama. You settled for my…your bathrobes"

she nodded skeptically and sipped her glass of water

"maybe I should just move in…" she whispered to herself and smiled inwardly when he dropped his spoon in the soup

"Hmm? What's wrong Namikaze? Why did you drop your spoon?" she asked with mock innocence

"…I apologize, Mizukage-sama. I think I just lost my grip"

"hmm… okay. Be more careful"

"…Yes, Mizukage-sama" he said through visibly clenched teeth as the blood vessels surfaced on his neck

It amused her greatly to mess with the normally phlegmatic jounin

 **'Pah. This should be good. Living with the Mizukage. What could go wrong with that, eh brah?'  
**

'Can't you at least come around at night?'

 **'When was the last time you trained, meditated or even read a book you Dickhead? You spent all night on that freaking couch!'  
**

'…if I'm a dickhead, what does that make you? A dickhead's alter ego?'

 **'that…was so low, I'm not talking to you again for a minute'**

He finished his soup in silence and warned her once more about the table

"the clone will take care of it. Leave everything"

"Tch…fine"

he went into his room but clearly heard her whisper "Granpa" when he passed by

 **'you realize you'll remember what happened no matter what, right?'  
**

'And?'

 **'how does it feel to know the kage of a village loved you so much she rubbed off on you?'  
**

'She was drunk. I don't think rubbing off on the person who reminds you of your past is something a sane and sober person would normally do'

 **'…why do I get the fucking robot? Can't I dement a normal human?'  
**

'I didn't know alter egos had a choice about who they demented'

 **'you…really need to work on your comebacks…it's just sad to hear'**

 **Konoha**

"Hmm…what do you think, Sakura?"

"It's a good idea, lady hokage"

"Shizune?"

"We'll need all the allies we can get, Hokage-sama. Especially since we don't have a jinchuriki anymore"

"well. There you have it. Send the Mizukage a letter and invite her over…we'll have a womanly chat and I'll finally be able to rant about paperwork with a peer"  
both girls present smiled nervously at her remark…

 **Iwa**

"How the hell is it possible for two men to subdue a bijuu on the loose!?"

"It's the akatsuki, sir. They are S-rank n-"

"I know what they are! Inform Han and tell him to stay on high alert"

 **Kumo**

Thunder roared as a desk went flying from the kage tower. The projectile's speed hinted that it would not land until it was out of the country. The news of the missing two tails had clearly outraged the Raikage

 **Kirigakure**

' **Well…this sucks'  
**

he stamped another paper and put it away. Pulling another paper over from the stack, he began to study it

 **'why are we stuck on shit-eating duty while she's out on a vacation to the land that traumatized you?'  
**

*Stamp*

 **'I'm not going away'  
**

*Stamp*

 **'are you even reading that?'  
**

*Stamp*

 **'for the love of god, please-'  
**

*Knock knock*

 **'Fuck yes! Finally! Something that moves on its own'  
**

'guh…'

"You can come in"

the assistant that Terumi had personally chosen for him entered with a face whiter than the snow that was falling outside

"Sir…it's the akatsuki"

he tried to hold his demeanor but the shattered stamp in his hand said otherwise

 **'yes…finally…they're here for you. You can finally finish-'  
**

"And?"

"They're engaged with the six tails but other than that…"

a grim silence filled the room

"What should we do, sir? Without mizukage-sama, we don't-"

"it's fine" he said calmly as he threw the stamp away and stood up

"w..what?" the assistant asked, dumbfounded and nonplussed by his cool demeanor as he washed his hands

"I said it's going to be just fine. The akatsuki never raid a village. Their sole aim is to capture the tailed beasts"

'I should know…afterall…'

"If they assault the village, as the mizukage's chosen, I'll defend the village myself"

"but…it's the akatsuki, sir. They're s-rank ninja and without the mizukage-"

"do you doubt me?"

His silence answered the asked question

"good. You should. But the way I see it, I'm the best shot we have at driving them away without any casualties. They have no record of raiding a village and I don't think they'll break their record just because the Kage isn't here. They didn't do anything when the Sandaime Hokage died, and I don't think it'll benefit them to terrorize a village either. Are you satisfied with my reasoning?"

 **'I think** _ **terrorized**_ **or** _ **traumatized**_ **is the right word you're looking for'  
**

the assistant breathed out and smiled

"Yes, sir…thank you" he said before closing the door

 **'hoho…not bad, little man. You actually came over your urge to seek revenge …I don't know if that's a low for you or a shame'  
**

'I have an obligation…'

he pulled out another stamp from the drawer and got back to work

'I intend to keep it'

*Stamp*

 **Road to konoha**

The way she parted with him was unexpected to say the least. He asked her not to mention him and keep his identity hidden. He was a defect, that's understandable but now he was under Kirigakure's protection and had nothing to fear. She decided to respect his wishes for now…the same way he respected her request to be on paper duty

'I wonder how he's doing…'

 **Battlefield**

The group of pale ninja with piercings and ripple-patterned eyes stared at the barely breathing man with long hair. They had hoped for a fight that would help them stretch their legs but that was…less than their grandiose expectations

the leader of the small group and Akatsuki itself stared into the horizon, a new thought eating away at him, as if an afflatus from god  
'Kirigakure…has been very successful lately. A recon can't hurt for the upcoming war…'

and so, he sent the rest back with the spoil of victory before heading for the village hidden in the mist

 **Kirigakure**

*Crack*

 **'…you feel it don't you?'  
**

He took a deep breath, letting the cold air cool his head as he looked out from his position over the gates. He let go of his finger and stood up under the moonlight

'Pein…'

 **Konoha**

Initially, it was okay. The welcoming party was warm and friendly, the hokage and her two nin were very welcoming…but…at this point…she was questioning why she was invited over. she, Ao, Chojuro, the Hokage and her two younger _hostages_ sat at the table and listened to the legendary sucker's kvetches

"and he's all gung-ho on me about why his mission got done later than the deadline and I can't even begin to fathom what his wife must go through with a dipshit like him for a husband"

the mizukage coughed and almost choked on her drink

"I mean seriously! You send chuunin out on a B-rank that you claim is considerable as a D-rank and you expect us to give you some service too? Get bent old man!"

The girl with pink hair smiled nervously when the auburnette sent her a questioning look

"please understand. She's really opening up to you if she says this stuff" she said soundlessly and the mizukage read her lips perfectly

'I wish naruto was here to shut her up with his attitude…naruto…'

"So what about you Terumi-chan?"

Her question pulled her out of her sweet reverie of a smiling man that was making her meat loaf

"hmm? I beg your pardon?"

"Kakashi. do you have someone as lazy and unpunctual as kakashi? you know. The copy-nin"

"Hokage-sama! I don't think it's right for you to backbite-"

"Oh relax shizune. This is a girls talk. We can say what we want"

using the chance, Ao and Chojuro soundlessly walked away

'jeez...are all women like this?'

'alas…back in my days…screw it I'm too happy right now'

"lazy and unpunctual…hmm…" she thought hard and tapped her chin. A poker-faced young man with yellow and white hair popped up and for some reason, his absence annoyed her.

"uh-oh. I know what that grimace means" the blonde said with a smirk as she filled her peer's cup. She downed it in one go much to the hokage's amusement

"sorry Hokage-sama but he strictly asked me not to mention him-"

"Relax, Mei-chan. Just tell us what bothers you about him"

"What bothers me?..." she tapped the table with her index as she made a list

"Well…He's too polite and proper. I don't think I've ever heard him curse which is a bit disturbing. He's always succeeded in all his missions and has never, not even once, complained about anything. His loyalty is so great, it almost makes me feel like I don't deserve him"

"Wow…sounds like someone handy to have around"

"Ugh…and the girls. They're all over him and he's so…so…helpless! Why can't he say no?!"

At this point, shizune and sakura were feeling something tugging in their minds. Tsunade on the other hand…

"Well Mei-chan…you're single…and he's a promising young man…why not nab him?" she said with a mischievous wink. Terumi drank another cup before confessing her sin

"i…can't…he's seventeen"

what she expected happened...but for different reasons. They all fell silent. The idea of a seventeen year old jounin who was comparable to Itachi Uchiha…it sounded mighty familiar…

"And you said…that he wanted his identity to remain hidden?" the pinkette asked and she nodded in response

"Can I ask why?"

"Well…"

the drinks were having an effect on her at this point…

"This is all I'm willing to leak but…he defected from the leaf"

The leaf trio were too interested to leave it as it is but the Mizukage's mind was occupied elsewhere

 _"I'm sorry but it's not meant to be"_

she remembered how he raised his small fist up to his chest when she said that mercilessly. She felt an iron fist tighten around her heart

 **Kirigakure**

"Hello, Naruto-kun"

*Crack*

the other man let go of his finger as he continued to stare down the orange haired Akatsuki leader. The people passing by in the busy district had no idea whom they were walking by. The blue eyed man calmly offered his right hand. Reluctantly, the other shook it

"it's nice to see you again, Pein"

"it's nice to see your fake smile too, Naruto"

they continued to stare at each other for a few intense moments before letting go of each other's hand

"So…" he said as he looked around the district. "Kirigakure…I should've guessed"

"Is there any way I can…expedite your leave?" he asked tersely

"…No. I was simply curious about the reason a village that is near ruin suddenly came back to life. I heard the new Kage was the reason"

"I know you did…I've been watching you the past two days"

"but I guess now I know what the real reason is"

His rictus dropped at that and his blank face came back

"you just used that as an excuse to take two days off and to get away from Akatsuki and Ko-nee-chan"

at this point, the aura emanating from the two serious men was so intense, people instinctively avoided getting too close to them

"well then…if I can't help do anything to help you leave…I think you know the way out"

after a long time, he saw Pein smile again

"I'm taking a stroll, Naruto. You know the Akatsuki will not attack the villages…not without good reason anyway"

"I know"

"then why so serious?"

"Your robes and your eyes…if the piercings aren't enough"

"I'm pretty sure the ninja of a newly reborn village know better than to mess with the leader of an S-rank organization"

"nobody knows you're the leader, Pein. But the red clouds are unnerving enough"

"…fair enough. It was nice seeing you again. I'm sure everyone would be pleased to know you're at peace"

"I'm sure they will be…have a good day" he said with finality and a nod

he stood still in the middle of the crowd until he could no longer sense the most dangerous man he had known after Itachi. When his chakra sensors informed him that he was out of the village walls, he let go of the breath he was holding

'it's hard sharpening the sensors to feel the entire village…' he thought to himself before he took out a scroll and strapped it to his wrist. Feeling the chakra from the storage seal fill his empty coils, he sighed in relief. He felt ten years of his short life get shaved away simply by the conversation he had today

'…being a kage is hard work'

 **'no, dude. It's just you and that freak magnet you have in ya'  
**

what he needed right now was to go to his training zone and perform some _catharsis_ …

 **Konoha**

She paced around in her room. She wasn't used to this. By now, she was either drinking wine after a hard day's work or she would be getting under a certain someone's iron skin

'god…I wish my table was here right now'

*Knock knock*

"who is it?"

Ao opened the door with a pale face and a nervous Chojuro was not far behind

"Mizukage-sama…the six tails…"

 **Next morning**

"Well…this is interesting" the blonde Kage whispered as she passed the scroll over to her peer

"A summit meeting?"

"Yes…to deal with the Akatsuki. They just need two more bijuu and…the worst thing we can't conceive will happen"

"I see…then I need to head back to my village"

"We can go together from right here"

"I think I need to pay a visit to my village, Hokage-sama…the Akatsuki were there and we lost the six tails"

"Fair enough" she said with a nod

"I'll see you at the summit, Mei-chan. And bring the man you talked about…I'd like to see Kakashi's polar opposite"

'…you really don't want to…'

 **Elsewhere**

The man with his face covered sneezed in the bookstore, drawing a few questions

'He…sneezed with his mask on?'

 **Dark Room**

"Fu. Torune. Get ready. The summit...i can't miss it even if i'm not the Hokage"

 **Raigakure**

"And don't come out of the mountain until I say otherwise, B. the six tails was taken. Next, the seven and you're the last in line"

"no need to worry about your brother, my brother. I'll be fine as long as I'm with my other" he said as he pointed at his chest with his thumb

 **Sometime later – unknown location**

' **my god, you're a monster…'  
**

'thanks…I think'

the info he received from his clone let him know the kage just passed through the gates. He closed his eyes and exhaled with satisfaction

 **'thank god. If I never see people's written bitchings and whinings again, it'll be too soon'  
**

'something we agree on. I need a shower…but first…'

he walked up the steep ground and looked back at the crater once before disappearing in a blur

 **Kage office**

"Welcome back, Mizukage-sama" he said with a small bow as he stood by her desk

"it's good to be back, Naruto" she said as she sat down and sank into her comfy chair. Her sigh and smile showed her satisfaction

"I take it the warmer region did not treat you kindly?" he asked as he changed his position and stood in front of the desk, his usual and formal place

"if I knew it would be that hot, I would have taken some suitable clothes. Seeing others with sleeveless shirts and short pants…ugh…torture"

"the paperwork for the day has been finished so take your time-"

"Can't. We're leaving immediately for a summit meeting"

he looked away and scratched his brow with his thumb

"The Akatsuki…" he whispered

"Yes. They need to be dealt with…soon. I'm taking you and Ao with me"

his lips parted but no words came out

"You're hesitant?"

"The leaf-"

"You're different now, Naruto. You're another person now. If that's not enough, you're my top jounin now and no one can say anything about that"

he smiled and shook his head in disapproval

"You flatter me…and endanger a peace treaty" he added with a raised eyebrow

"I'm sure you're worth it. I mean come on…a chef and a killing machine? What more can I ask for?"

The smile died on his face and his stare fell to the floor. It didn't take long for her to realize the memory she just salvaged from his gutter of memories

 _"Listen, Uzumaki. I appreciate your help but you're too young for me. Besides, I'm into kind and gentle men who know how to take care of a lady not a robotic, killing machine. I'm sorry but it's not meant to be"_

"Naruto, i-"

"It's fine. I just need a break after dealing with people's formal complaints about how cold the weather is" he said before leaving the room **  
**

the idea of his first rebuff wasn't what annoyed him. It was the idea of how _she_ could have felt when he said those words to her

' _Her bossy posture…the eyes…the hair…kurukyuun…She's My Type!'_

' **Hahaha-'  
**

*Pound*

it took the demented jounin that long to _fly_ back home, enter his mindscape and land a blow on the evil twin's face

"I'm sick of your shit…this ends tonight"

his feral twin snickered before shifting into the image of the woman he adored

 **"Really rutokyuun? You would do that to-"  
**

his kick was so hard and well-aimed at her neck that she fell over and received another blow from the hard ground. In a beat, he was on top of her, raining down punches on the red-head

"She's Gone! They Took Her Away Because I Couldn't Do Anything! I Was Too Weak and Now She's GONE!" he continued to shout. Minutes later, he was still hitting the hard ground long after she disappeared. His punches grew weaker with his voice

"She's…gone…Kuru-chan…"

And so, he finally accepted that bitter fact and cried tears of grief one last time for his dearly beloved

 **Next morning**

"Hm…at least it doesn't look like kakashi's" he commented as he looked back at his reflection

His hair was all white now and his whisker marks were completely gone. He scratched his eyebrow when he thought of what would unfold that day at the office

 **Kage Tower**

"Well, now you have no reason to object when I say you're coming with me to the summit" she deadpanned

"Just because my hair is white and my birthmarks are gone doesn't mean they won't recognize my face

"Get over yourself, Namikaze. You have an easily forgettable face"

"I don't think I even have a choice in this anymore"

she chuckled and stood up

"you thought you had one?"

"Right…"

"Oh and Naruto…" she called as he reached for the doorknob. None of the two spoke and the tension that that created seemed to slow time for both occupants of the room. Seeing better things to do while he still had time, he decided to finish this and get ready for the summit

"its fine. I'm a grown man, I can take a hit…even if it's low and critical" he added the last part before closing the door behind him. He really did feel different now…

 **?**

"So they're finally having that meeting, eh?" the man who looked as old as time itself spoke

"Tobi" he called and not a moment later, the masked man appeared out of thin air

"It's time…"

"Tobi is a good boy!"

"Dammit Tobi not now!"

 **?**

He picked the black bracelet with a bell hanging from it and put it on his own wrist, a spoil of his victory and a reminder of this event

"Goodbye…Itachi"

One thought filled his mind as he reached for his brother's eyes...being the strongest and rebuilding his clan


	7. Chapter 7

_**Calm before the storm**_

To any other man, being present in a room full of Kages and top tier ninja would be an event of a lifetime. To one single person, however, this was absolutely nothing. Compared to Akatsuki's meetings, this was a tea party. He examined the room participants and grimaced in an early defeat

'what the eff…that old man's too short and his nose is too weird…the black guy looks dependable'

his eyes paused on Kankuro and Temari. He couldn't even begin to form a sentence about how putting them up against an Akatsuki would be a bad idea

'…moving on…'

he looked at the last remaining party of the summit meeting

'the drunk lady…shizune-chan…and pinky'

he lowered his head and sighed out loud, drawing the attention of the room occupants. Luckily, his mask, which had two holes and a horizontal line on it, protected his identity…and true feelings

"You're in a room with the strongest of the nations and you're bored?! How dare you!?" the short man growled under his breath "I swear, this generation…"  
"He's just tired from the trip"

he nodded in acknowledgement of what his Mizukage said and bowed to the old man

"I can tell a sigh from a yawn-"

"Anyway" the Hokage decided to cut in

"Getting back on track. The Akatsuki. They're short of two Bijuu and we can already assume the seven tail done and dealt with so we need to focus on protecting the last Bijuu"

"I've already made arrangements for the eight tails to be taken to a secure location, known only to me" the Raikage said in his deep voice

"Excellent decision, Raikage-sama. Each nation will send a handpicked few to better guard the remaining Bijuu" Kankuro stated

'not bad' the only nin with a mask on his face thought to himself

he ignored their political and military jargon as he counted each Akatsuki member in his head

"I'm afraid…Jiraya won't be of any use in the upcoming war. He's dead"

His train of thought crashed and his head turned to the blonde kage

"He died on a mission to investigate the Akatsuki…but…failed and was killed by the said group"

he maintained his posture and didn't show any changes on the outside. His time with the old man was short-lived but he appreciated what little help he contributed. He did want to punch him for introducing his name to his parents though. As it seemed, that would be another wish he would take to the grave.

"That's unexpected. It's not like the toad hermit to directly engage such an overpowering group on his own…care to explain further, hokage-sama?" the Tsuchikage asked as he tapped his finger on the table

"He…had his motives. He was desperately looking for a boy"

the sound of teeth gritting against each other caught everyone's attention and they turned once more to the masked nin  
he pointed downwards and not a moment later, rumblings could be heard

"Looks like we have company" the Mizukage stated as everyone walked out of the room to deal with the commotion. All except two

he took his mask off and stared at the man named Mifune. His chakra was a bit…off. _Tampered with_ if he dared say so. If he had to guess…

 **Outside the summit**

The sound of a finger being cracked died in the wind as he approached the bandaged man and his two companions

"Commendable…but hear me out first-"

"Hechatoncheir"

he needed to get back to his Kage and finishing this quickly was his top priority…to his dismay, the bandaged man who revealed his Sharingans had other plans. With a displeased growl, he pumped his limbs full of chakra

 **Battlefield**

He was not taking this well. After defeating Itachi, he thought he could hold his own but seeing the Raikage crack his Susano-o, he began to have second thoughts. He was sent through a wall by another fist before his armor gave out. Karin was not far away as she immediately appeared next to him and let him take a bite on her arm. This scene…could revive a few salacious memories for a certain person. As the Kages enclosed and approached the exhausted assassins, Said person finally made it in time only to see them both get warped away by a masked Akatsuki member

'that technique wasn't the Hiraishin…i need to look out for him' he thought as he approached his Kage

"Where were you Naruto?!" Ao bellowed and realized too late what he had said

"Na..ruto?" the pink hair repeated

'Ao, you idiot!' Thought Terumi as she looked at the masked man 'what now?...'

He simply showed a severed head that belonged to Danzo

"I know you're the quiet type Mr. Naruto but you better have a good reason as to why the War-hawk of Konoha's head is in your hand" Tsunade growled. She wasn't on best of terms with Danzo but she needed whatever resource she could manage for the upcoming war and Danzo's strategic experience was invaluable

He took his mask off to reveal cold blue eyes and bowed first before speaking

"I sensed that the one called Mifune had an abnormal flow…especially around his head. So I simply scanned the area for any…uninvited guests"

'cost me a chakra seal too…' he added inwardly

"I found him and…well…he wanted to say something but seeing as I had limited time and wanted to be with my most precious kage, I finished him and rushed to my fair kage's side" he finished with a smile

at this juncture, one would have to view the different aspects to fully savor the event

The Raikage and Tsuchikage now knew why the newly found village was so successful in such a short amount of time. A man who kills an S-rank nin in a matter of minutes must appear once a generation if not once a century

Temari and Kankuro were reminded of many things and it created a roller coaster of emotions for them. At one point, their brother and his memory and at another point, the memory that the name _Naruto_ revived for them. They were also impressed by his skills but the resurrected images of a boy kissing their brother was far too overpowering at the moment

Tsunade was having a hard time comprehending this. Danzo was dead but she didn't know if she should be happy a sadistic maniac is dead or be sad a useful maniac is dead. On the other hand, the boy's face reminded her of someone whom she just couldn't place her finger on

Shizune and Sakura recognized the blue eyes and the name further hardened their determination about knowing the identity of this enigma  
He sent a look of question towards his Kage before sighing in defeat. She could guess what was coming next

"Also. The name's Naruto. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto…the ex-Jinchuriki of the nine tailed fox"

Again, this development requires an inquiry into the effects it caused

The sand siblings were now truly sent into shock when they saw the smiling Anbu with a man's head in his hand. It helped further drown them in memories of the boy who survived the sand coffin and molested the bloody demon of the sand

The Tsuchikage grimaced at the mention of the word _Namikaze_

The Raikage, whom had had a personal encounter with the famed Namikaze, sized the Anbu up

Shizune, unaware of the whole story, was pleased to see the polite boy from before reach such a position

'good for you, Naruto-kun'

A tick mark appeared on Tsunade's forehead when she remembered the invasion event. Bitter memories indeed

Haruno, seeing the man he had become, couldn't help but be impressed. The sensation invited past memories…intimate events she shared with him which caused her to steal her gaze from him

" _Thank you, Sakura-chan…for taking care of me back in the forest when I was unconscious. I'll repay you one day"_

The ideas her inner ego suggested as to how he can repay her almost gave her a nosebleed

"Well…I'm all in for the ninja alliance. How about you guys?" Terumi said cheerfully, trying to change the course of events

 **Road to Konoha**

All he could do was stare at her with disbelief. How she gave into Tsunade's temptations and sent Ao to help Chojuro…it was just painful to watch. The promise of shopping, spa and a women's night out was all it took to convince the Kage to pay another visit to the village that traumatized her ace

"oh come on. Don't be such a buzzkill, Naruto-kun. You know how it is for a Kage…"

horrible images of formal complaints about how the area smells or how the air is too polluted filled his mind and he gritted his teeth

"…you know how we Kages need a break like this"

"…fair enough" he acquiesced. He had no other choice either. They were in this now and she didn't know what she had really done. It was his own fault in his opinion. If he had opened up to her and told her about her childhood in the streets…

"Naruto-kun?"

He turned to the kage's personal assistant and smiled vibrantly

"Shizune-san. You have no idea how happy I am to see you again" he said as he abruptly lifted her hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles. At this point of events, one would have to consider the possibility of Naruto either being incredibly dense or just incredibly…insatiable of others' amusing reactions

her ears turned red as she giggled like a schoolgirl

One Kage was not pleased and the other was just about furious. The pinkette however…was familiar with the boy's mercurial attitude so she tried to ignore the little joke he was playing on her

"oh come on Naruto-kun…don't call me Shizune-san…"

"oh?" he said questioningly, still holding her hand "Shizune…chan?" he said and softly squeezed her hand, drawing a small squeal out of her

'some things never change…'

'This kid…is really asking for my fist right now'

'I sincerely hope you have a convincing explanation for your _precious_ and _fair_ kage, Naruto-kun'

he continued to make conversation with Shizune until they reached the village. With one last kiss to the knuckle, he bid her farewell and received an elbow to the ribs from his Kage

"What did I do?" he asked innocently

"Who are you and Where is my robo-nin?"

he shrugged nonchalantly

"you're the one who turned me down, lady Mizukage" he said as a matter of factly

"I didn't know you were one to hold a grudge, Uzumaki"

"I don't, my lady…I don't need to hold a grudge when I have a plan for payback" he said as his fingertips caressed her left temple. He closed the distance between them and whispered in the lowest voice he could muster

"as my unrequited crush, you cannot possibly fathom the immensity of the roller coaster I have planned for you, Mei-chan"

wide eyes and held breath…he was pleased at the spectacle. The slap she left on his face however…

"Naruto-Kun"

He turned to the source of the voice and smiled

"Sakura-chan"

feeling playful and insatiable, he kissed her on the lips abruptly

"How have you been?"

"Don't get used to that, Naruto-kun. I know how you like to play with a girl's feelings"

"do you now?" he said as he crossed his arms and smiled confidently

"So…how does a round of ramen sound?"

Being back in Konoha without a heavy burden on his conscience…it gave life to a few pleasing thoughts for the boy. Most of which were followed by a redhead's growling but that didn't seem to hurt him anymore. He was getting used to comfort and somehow…somewhere deep inside him, a voice that was left unheard kept screaming for him to wake up

 **Ichiraku**

Due to his incredible understanding of the feminine nature, he was a master of changing the course of the conversation. He always tried to have the other side talking about themselves and that saved him the hassle of talking about his complicated lifestyle. Haruno Sakura was no exception either

he knew her intentions. She wanted to know more about him but unfortunately, she did not stay true to the saying _pick your own battles_. Or at least she sucked at it

Coming out of the store, he couldn't help but wink at Ayame. She hadn't recognized him and he didn't mind, really. He just wanted to hear her sweet giggles before leaving the shop

"So…any training spots you could recommend, Sakura-chan? I need to stretch my legs a bit and work off the ramen"

an evil thought about shouting vigorous men came into her mind and he shivered when she smiled innocently

 **Training grounds**

Much to his satisfaction, the area was clear. He began his training session with stretches and warm-ups. He was about to create a few clones but was interrupted as he had to dodge a shuriken aimed for his shoulder. He turned to the thrower of the sharp star and smiled once more

"Ten-chan"

"Who the heck are you?" she said not-so-amicably as she drew her batons

his warm smile turned to a cold frown as he approached her

his temerity created a great deal of trepidation within her. something about this person made her guts squirm…and she did not like that

he reached his hand out to touch her face but the blow she delivered to his arm broke his progress…along with his arm

"ouch" he said with a straight face before readjusting the disfigured arm

"you remember me ten-chan…that's why you're so nervous"

she sent three more blows to his body but he brazenly withstood the strikes. He continued to pace towards her and she continued to pace backwards

"you've grown very strong, Ten-chan"

the words hit her like a brick wall and she remembered that night. She hit a tree and that caused her loosened grips to let go of her batons. He was so close now that he could feel her hot and heavy breath against his face. Cautiously, he held her trembling hands. After seeing no hostile reaction, he held them firmer, conveying some enigmatic energy that could calm her shaking hands

"tenten…" he whispered as he leaned in and took her lips in a warm and crispy midday kiss. At first, she felt like she had to reject it. But when he entwined his fingers with hers, she gave in and kissed him back. Just when he thought he had achieved his goal, she pinned him down with a kunai on his throat. He smiled in return

"There's the girl I was hoping to see. How have you been?"

 **Konoha Hospital**

He had a hard time explaining the dislocated arm to the platinum blonde medic. Apparently, the term _Tough love_ was not credible as a reason

after getting patched up, he walked back to the hotel they would be staying at for the weekend. He wanted to find another victim to play with but…he felt like he needed to be ready for what was coming

 **Inn**

He was pleased to see they would be staying in separate rooms. Yet, he was displeased because by now, he had learned his lesson that it's just not that simple

'Tsunade's probably going to get her drunk…that'll end up well'

 **Ten minutes later**

'Fuck…me…' he thought as he stared at the women lying in the hallway

he proceeded to put his kage in her room. She didn't smell nearly as bad as the blonde one. She needed help. Halfway to his bed, she looked like she was about to throw up so he hurried to the bathroom and held her hair back as she emptied her stomach. He realized not too soon how awkward his position was. Her… _blessings_ were too big in the small bathroom and if he wanted to keep holding her head, he would have to bear the burden of grinding his member against her _blessings_ each time she hurled into the toilet. She was not making this easy either. When she wanted to go, she would lower her head, in turn pulling Naruto forward and in conclusion, pushing his member deeper into her soft mounds, so much that at one point, it clearly fit between her… _blessings_

'what the…how can they be…Argh…'

it took all his power to control the throbbing of his elongated member. The friction that the sensitive appendage felt when rubbed against her blissfully soft curves was maddening. He also cursed himself for wearing the loose boxers. some vacation night he was having... Finally, she closed the lid of the toilet, signaling that she was over and Naruto, almost too happy, let go of her and stepped out of the bathroom. Ridden with guilt, he knew it was just wrong to leave the Kage of the village he was staying at in the bathroom. He picked her up and put her down on his bed carefully as to avoid waking her up. He doubted she'd thank him in her drunk stupor…and he feared she would want a rematch after _that_ day. He went to check up on the Mizukage and was pleased to see her sleeping still…unlike the Hokage she went back to. it seemed like she had moved three times from the position Naruto left her in. she went from sleeping in the middle of the bed to hanging on the left side. He didn't care how long it took. he waited for her to fall over and was pleased with the sound her head made when it hit the wooden floor

"Ow…sonuva…" she looked around and realized she was not in her own room

"You…have…the greatest stomach capacity I have ever seen, lady Hokage" he said with crossed arms

"What am I doing here?"

"You are…" for a moment, he was tempted to mock her but Konan's teachings kicked in and he bit his lip in self-control. Ever since he absorbed his alter ego…

"…resting here, Hokage-sama. You ended up here with my lady Mizukage and now, I'm watching over you"

"Hn?...what about your own kage?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes

"I don't think she moves in bed as much as you do. Besides…if you remember right, I have good sensory skills"

"Whatever…" she said as she held her head

'yes. You're welcome' he thought as he walked towards the fridge and handed her a glass water and two white pills to help with the headache

"It's not easy losing to a kid when you're a legendary Sannin, Uzumaki. Have some understanding"

'but I didn't say anything…' he sweat-dropped

"You don't understand women-"

'…yeah…'

"-but you should know that nothing is as precious as the respect and love a woman holds for himself *Hic*"

he helped her back into bed and sighed in defeat

"Yes…you're right, Tsunade-sama. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned" he reiterated Konan's words

"Exactly!" she exclaimed before falling asleep again. At thirty minute intervals, he would switch positions watching each Kage until sunrise

'…doesn't anyone care where the Hokage is?'

As if on cue, he felt Shizune's chakra signature approach their floor. He sighed in relief and waited for her in the hallway

"Over here shizune-san" he said as he waved to her. She was relieved to see her unharmed and sleeping peacefully….even if she was on the floor

 **Leaf outlands**

'The leaf…will pay for what they did, Itachi…'

the bell made a melancholic small noise as a breeze passed by

 **Konoha**

'It's for the best…' she thought as she browsed the clothes with her peer. She was not used to the sleeveless and short clothing style here in Konoha. Having her precious white-head away from all the girls approaching him day-in day-out gave her peace of mind and let her actually enjoy the vacation she had come for. He wasn't helping either the way he played with their feelings. She had to wonder what had changed…

 **Leaf Outlands**

'Well…that was fun' he thought to himself as he walked leisurely in the open road. He had enjoyed seeing Terumi's different shades as he played with different girls. He could only imagine what went through her head as her most trusted robonin turned into a playboy when he got home. His leisurely walk would have continued and with it, his amusing musing. But a horrific sound caused his blood to freeze and his hands to twitch in anticipation. His body was once more acting up, silently signaling its desire

"Itachi…" he whispered as he recognized the small noise his silver bell made. He walked further down the road and was confused to see it on another man's wrist. The man was traveling with three companions too. His stare paused a second longer on the redhead as her hair brought back many fond memories. Another reason his stare paused was the bite mark barely visible on her neck. He quickly shook away the thoughts about someone in real life who could endure his _love_ and continued to walk towards the small group. He assessed the plans he thought necessary in his head before the other four came to a halt. Following their lead, he also stopped. The man who seemed to be their leader…and the one he couldn't wait to question approached him

"What's a ninja of the mist doing here?"

"What is your name?" he asked with a cold and unfriendly tone. Clearly, he had no intentions of leaving without answers as he continued to stare at him. The Sharingan that came to life before he drew his sword was answer enough

"Uchiha…"

'so he took him in…interesting' he thought as he pulled his right foot back and crouched, ready to shoot himself forward. he felt something uncomfortable tugging in the back of his mind though. something familiar...and horrible

"Dead men don't need-"

Blocking his kick to the ribs seemed to be a higher priority compared to what he had to say. His companions would have been beside him if they were not currently occupied by the attacker's clones

"So he took in his little brother huh?...how interesting" he thought out loud. This caught the Uchiha's attention as he pushed him back

"What?"

"Don't what me. There's only one bell with that noise and color and I picked it. Did he give it to you as a graduation present or something?"

"What are you talking about?" he growled before sending him a swarm of snakes from his arm. The white-head smiled innocently before his buried sphere of chakra surfaced and spun around him like a Rasengan, cutting the reptiles to pieces. He jumped out of his crater with open arms and a smile

"Come on. Don't make that face. We're practically brothers"

"I Killed my brother" he whispered grimly before he raised his hand to the sky. The clones disappeared as the white-head looked at him with furrow brows. It was taking him an eternity to piece the jigsaw together and recognize what that tugging in the back of his mind meant. it was the same feeling he endured all night on that accursed island

meanwhile, the flame from his Amaterasue was creating the conditions for his final strike

'no…'

" _Stand up, Naruto. no pupil of mine dies from six hours of training"  
_

 _"You're Insane!"_

'I…Ta…'

" _It looks good on you sensei"  
_

 _"What does?"  
_

 _"The Bracelet…thank-"  
_

 _"eat your breakfast. We have work to do"  
_

 _'…you for wearing it, Onii-sama'_

"chi…" he whispered. The raven-head's companions were watching their leader prepare his strongest thunder technique as the white-head fell to his knees, trembling in what they could consider to be fear. What they didn't know was that the teen was once more experiencing the grief he felt before he lost his precious redhead

" _We all suffer due to our incompetence, Naruto. the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll hate sleeping"  
_

 _'the only person I know who doesn't sleep is famed as the bloody sand demon…'  
_

 _he smiled nervously at his red-eyed stare  
_

 _"come on, Itachi-sensei. How can a person skip sleep?"_

"U…chi…"

" _I showed you everything because I want you to understand the core principle of this world Naruto. It is hard to admit but…you feel like more than a pupil now and that worries me"_

He had never felt so happy until that day. What felt funny and ironic to the white-head was that his sensei revealed that to him the day they departed for Kirigakure…

"Sensei…"

" _I will make you see it all one last time before I leave you, Naruto-kun…don't die"  
_

 _"…don't lose the bracelet. I want to take it from your cold dead hands"  
_

 _"Hn…big words…"_

"Kirin"

Sorrowful and misty eyes looked up to the Uchiha before he brought his hand down, followed shortly by the sky's roar. He remembered his sensei's motto moments before the thunderous Beast stroke him

" _Don't lose your head, Naruto"_

 **Mindscape**

He stood on the sole piece of earth that remained. That piece was surrounded by an ocean, its vastness stretching as far as the eye could see. It had a grim color as the sky was grey and rumbling with the promise of rain. He licked his lips in frustration and ran a hand through his hair as his mind went loose with torturous ideas again

'Goddammit how could I forget?'

'I forgot it all'

'i got too comfortable'

'i forgot that feeling'

'fuck…me…'

the skies grew darker and the ocean began to grow wild, waves crashing about and threatening to destroy the sole earth left in the mindscape as his own voice echoed from every direction with every thought he had

'I forgot Itachi…he was like a brother to me…a precious-'

' **And Now He's Dead'  
**

Thunder roared and the waves grew larger in size and number. He clutched his head as his teeth pressed against each other in attempt to control his tumultuous emotions

'Because **I Forgot What** Happens to **Weak People** '

' **They** suffer'

 **'if only I wasn't so occupied with my own shit and thought about making contact with…Itachi...sensei...'  
**

from a distance, a large wave began to accumulate as it slowly made its way towards the piece of grassless land and the man standing in the middle of it. It was clearly as tall as a three story building by the time it reached the land. It came down hard and mercilessly and it destroyed the piece of land, shattering it into pieces. He remained where he was though. Floating in the middle of an infinite ocean, surrounded by the blue darkness. His eyes felt tired and his head was heavy now. One memory was weighing heavily on his conscience…

 **'The Promise…'**

" _Well…I can't say I expected that, Naruto-kun"  
_

 _"I would be surprised if you did Sensei because even I didn't expect it towork"  
_

 _*Thwack*  
_

 _"don't mess around with my life, Naruto-kun"  
_

 _"Yes…but you gotta admit…the arm is a good way of using the cloak. I almost thought I could beat you with it too"  
_

 _"Hn…brave thoughts. Your only chance of beating me is after constant training until you're seventeen, Naruto-kun"  
_

 _"Hn…Brave prediction. Fine. I promise I'll beat you when I'm seventeen, Itachi-sensei"  
_

 _*Thwack*  
_

 _"Don't imitate me, Naruto-kun"  
_

 _"Yes, Itachi-sensei"  
_

 _*Thwack*  
_

 _"What was that for?"  
_

 _"…it felt right"_

He covered his face as he sank deeper into the ocean, the memory and the sin he committed dragging him to the pits of despair

'How could I forget?...'

The question dragged him further down. Memories he made as he stayed in the village made him grimace. Why did he forget Itachi? The one man that gave him a chance and looked out for him in every turn, even in their last meeting. How could he forget one of his precious people? the one he considered the closest thing to a brother?

 **'so weak…'** he thought as his feet touched the pit of his conscience. In front of him stood the remains of his iron tower and they glowed ever so dimly in the pits of sorrow

 **'That bracelet…'  
**

The tower shone brighter and the ground seemed to shake as his eyes narrowed further

 **'isn't yours, Sasuke…'**

 **Battlefield**

"UCHIWAAAAAAAA"was his beastly roar as he stood up, as if he wasn't hit by a million volts seconds ago. More than taken aback, the group of four got ready for a fight…but a fight wasn't the only thing the enraged man was going to give them

 _"Don't lose your head, Naruto-kun"_

'fine…can't say they'll keep theirs though…' he thought darkly as he pulled his index finger with his thumb, cracking it and sending delicious jolts of pain that mixed with his pleasure, The pleasure he drove from the ideas he had of what to do with them. He took out the single three-pronged kunai he carried around out and got ready for the fight he intended to enjoy

'but first…'

he threw the kunai and the raven-head merely had to move his head to the left to avoid it. Seeing him disappear in a blur sent his danger senses into a frenzy but the white-head was nowhere to be found…the same could be said for the redhead of the group

 **Forests**

"Please keep her company" he ordered before walking away from the girl tied to a tree, leaving her with her… _host_

"…as a clone, I suck at this because I know feeling amused won't make a difference for me and I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to draw a face out of you. What do you want me to do to keep you company?"

"Maybe…come a little closer?" she said in a low voice

"…are you even listening? No amusement! I don't want to see what you're gonna do because I know it won't matter in the end"

"…you suck at this"

he sighed as he rubbed his eyes

'hurts every time…'

 **Battlefield**

'Where is Karin? why did he take her?...' he thought bitterly as he tried to feel for any incoming attacks with his eyes closed. As if on cue, he felt something coming from behind

"Dodge"

his shout came out too late for a certain tall man as he disappeared in the cloud of dust raised by the clones that were fired like human bullets

he furrowed his brows in annoyance when he felt his target's chakra go insane. He was descending quickly and what awaited him on the battlefield didn't sound human. Summoning a chakra arm from his cloak, he created a fairly big sphere of turbulent chakra

'two down…'

the spinning orb scattered the floating dust particles and his disinterested eyes made contact with the man's transformed ones before his attack came crashing on his head. He was surprised at first to see the man hold his ground but…all good things come to an end. It was not his usual taste as an assassin to create a mess but he needed to make an example…

"Leave, shark-mouth. I only want him" he said monotonously as he passed by the blue-haired man with shark teeth

"No wa-"

"Sphere"

at his command, the man was caged in a prison of chakra before he was dragged down by the blue cage. He tilted his head and smiled questioningly when his ex-teammate pointed his crackling sword at him

"How ironic…"

"What do you want?"

"I gave that to my sensei because he was like a brother to me…and here I am…about to kill my brother's real brother"

'itachi…a sensei?...'

where had he had this idea before? He knew he had heard someone call _him_ sensei before…

"You…"

"Oho…if you just remembered, I must say I'm a bit hurt…"

he finally recognized that spiky yellow hair and those blue eyes on the day his brother left him to die before he broke many bones in his body

"…Teme" he growled before cracking his middle finger

"Naruto…" he whispered darkly

"That bracelet…the only way you'd have that leather bracelet with my sensei's name on it-"

Black hair rushed against white as his patience ran out. he wasn't one to waste time and Konoha was very close at hand

"Don't lose your head now"

he ducked under a slash and sent a knee to his abdomen

"How did you survive him anyway?"

'single handed?...' he thought as he sensed the Uchiha's fingers move before he was hit with electricity and got thrown back by the shock

'could it be?...'

he gritted his teeth in rage as he stared into his spinning Sharingan. He felt that familiar sensation…he was looking into his big brother's eyes

"you…are…" he growled with each step

"the fucking worst brother ever you know that? You actually took his eyes from him?! The Eyes That Grew Darker Everyday Because He Spared You?!" he shouted before an armor of chakra enveloped the raven-head

"you have no right to say that to me, Uzumaki. Know your place"

"Hah…you're one to talk" he growled before his own chakra cloak came to life.

From a distance, a man with an orange mask chuckled to himself as he observed the giant armored Susano-o fight against the giant beast with a fox's head

"this was certainly unexpected…"

with a tap of his foot, the black Zetsu emerged

"Say, Zetsu…as a boy who grew up all alone and lost two of his most precious and beloved ones, how would he feel if I killed the girl he considers his big sister?"

 **"…I don't think Pein would take kindly to that, Tobi"  
**

"Don't be mean, Zet-chan. I want someone to feel me too you know…"

Memories of a white haired teen's electric arm sticking out of his beloved's chest consumed his sanity as he chuckled grimly once more

"it's been a lonely few years…and I think Naruto will finally understand me, Zetsu-chan"

 **"It all comes down to lord Madara's opinion"  
**

"oh I'm sure he'll accept…after all…"

the armored giant exploded under the pressure of the two giant rasengans that hit him from both sides

"the Uchiha is useless now…and Naruto could more than make up for him when he joins us again"

 **'Tobi…you…'**

 **Forests**

Both of them stared quietly at the huge cloud of smoke rising in the distance. The clone cracked his finger and sighed in frustration of what was coming

"if I'm still here…you know what it means"

he almost disappeared with the cry she let out. he did however disappear after a few moments much to her delight

 **Crater**

The victor smiled confidently as he took the bracelet out of the Uchiha's lifeless hands. As the leathery feeling enveloped his wrist, he felt a wave of calmness hit him. He shook it a few times to feel the serenity of the bell's noise…but the result sent the teen into a shouting frenzy as he realized the bitter fact.

"Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

He was not coming back. No matter how hard he'd shout or how hard he held onto the bell, he wouldn't see him again. The crushing feeling of grief came back to him. it was so fresh, even after all that time. it felt like he had lost Kurama five minutes ago. He fell on his knees and started punching the earth beneath him.

'how could you…it's all your fault…your fault…yourfaultyourfaultyourfaultYOURFAULTYOURFAULT'

*Pound*

his eyes widened in realization. That's right. He _was_ weak. But not anymore. He could protect his precious now if he stopped making it about himself again. It didn't matter that he had lost his brother as much as it did when he thought about his _sister_. He immediately stood up and headed for the Akatsuki Base.

 **Forests**

'Jeez…why did he disappear?...did sasuke get-'

"Hello. Tobi is a good boy...well...not really"

 **?**

"Well…it is unfortunate that Sasuke let his vengeance consume him but he's no use if he's dead. Are you sure you can make Naruto change his mind, Obito?"

"Yes lord Madara…With Naruto, we won't even need the Akatsuki anymore. We don't need the group right now either as we have all we need except for the last remaining Bijuu"

"Hmm…you have a point. Do as you please as long as we get results…but if you fail-"

"It's a win-win, Madara-sama. if the Akatsuki destroys him, one less thorn in our side. If he destroys the Akatsuki…well…all the more reason to have him"

"And if he refuses to join?"

"…we'll cross that bridge if it comes down to it"

 **Desert**

He wiped the sweat off of his face as he gritted his teeth in annoyance. He passed Sasori and Deidara's lifeless bodies as he made his way to the Akatsuki base and the one he considered his sister. The idea of losing her was worse than Sasori's burning poisons and Deidara's fiery explosions in the desert heat. If he lost her too…he would lose what little his sanity hung on to.

 **Akatsuki Base**

"Well well…according to Zetsu, he just killed our artists. What now, Leader-sama?"

"Hidan. Kakuzo."

At his command, the zombie duo disappeared from the room. He tapped his fingers impatiently on the table before it came to a halt when he made his decision

"Kisame…I know you hate the desert but…Itachi's pupil can't be underestimated"

after the blue skinned man left the room, the masked enigma approached the man with piercings

"Say…under what circumstances…would you be willing to hand Konan over to me?"

the large room was not big enough to contain the tension that that sentence created

"I sincerely hope your next words are well chosen, Tobi. I don't care if you're Madara's chosen…I'm still the God of this world"

 **Akatsuki Base Entrance**

It took him all day to get through the undead men and the tailless Bijuu but he would rather go through that again than have this feeling. He stood there, staring with wide eyes at the orange-head crucified next to the entrance. Under him, written with what he assumed to be his blood, it said _welcome home Naruto-kun_

he shivered in anticipation. Whoever was strong enough to kill the strongest man he knew…was not to be taken lightly. He took his last storage seal and refilled his Chakra coils before he stepped into the base. As he walked past the corridors, he noticed a whistling noise coming from the meeting room. Before his hand touched the doorknob, the whistling stopped and he heard a familiar noise that resembled his own silver bell. He froze still as he remembered presenting her with a blue leather bell when she got mad at her. it was the only time she called him _little brother_ and promised to always keep it on her hand. His right eye twitched in anticipation but his fear held him back from opening the door. He had lost his parents before he even knew them. His grandfather drew his last breath before he made it by his side. His lover was literally sucked out of him and all he could feel was agonizing and maddening pain. He had even experienced staring into his brother's eyes as they moved in another man's sockets. He had just about had it with all the grief fate had brought him

'fate…' was his only thought as he opened the door. At first, he felt relief. Konan's body wasn't anywhere to be seen. But then he got worried as he laid eyes on the man he saw at the Kage summit. He felt him stare back at him from the single dark hole in his mask. He had heard that if one stared into the abyss, the abyss would stare back into him but this was ridiculous. The feeling he got from looking at him…

"Hello. I'm Tobi and I'm a good boy"

he was not amused. He stared blankly at the man who waved at him. he knew he was doing that intentionally…just to make him hear the bell ring…

"That bell…"

"Oh this?"

His patience grew shorter as he pointed dumbly at the bell on his wrist

"Oh I just found this lying around"

"you found a bracelet with Konan's name on it…lying around?" he said the last part through gritted teeth

"You don't believe me? it was right there" he said as he pointed at the backdoor of the meeting room

once more, he felt a chill run down his spine. Slowly, he began his walk towards the door

"Ah I have to say, Naruto-kun. Pein wasn't happy when he heard what I said"

he absentmindedly continued his sluggish walk towards the door. Inside, he knew what he could see would shatter him and break him beyond repair. Without his parents, he had his grandfather. Without him, he had Kurama. Itachi came after…and now…

"It was a real _pein_ to make him see my point. Hah! Get it?!"

He paid his horrible pun no heed and reached for the doorknob and he swallowed in anticipation. His breathing and heartbeat were erratic and moving his muscles felt like moving limbs full of lead

"but you see Naruto-kun…you're precious to me…beyond the likes of Pein or sasuke…"

The door creaked open and he grinned madly behind his mask

"…or Konan"


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sticks and stones may break our bones but boredom kills our souls**_

The war broke out after the eight tails was taken by the Akatsuki. How they found him and managed to extract him from a moving island in the middle of the ocean, no one knew. One thing they were certain of was that they had to finish the masked man off before his infamous _Gedo Mazo_ was fully awakened. The Nations desperately fought against the hordes of White Zetsus and their revived comrades, hoping to avoid what could be the end of the world as they knew it. After days of relentless fighting, they had finally made it to the last line thanks to the sacrifice of many well-known ninjas. By now, their numbers were halved but they looked forward to what they considered to be the final battle. They were hoping to end the nightmare that was Akatsuki and go back to their daily lives. White undead warriors be damned, fighting their friends, families and idols was ludicrous.

As the vast army faced the twitching statue from afar, the Kages gave their speeches, talking about the new dawn the end of this war would bring about and how their hideous acts of desecrating the dead could not go unpunished.

"Incoming!" shouted the leader of the Hyuuga branch family. With the Raikage's Roar, everyone braced themselves for what was coming. The wind blew ominously as one figure walked across the vast barren wasteland. With all the things the soldiers had seen in the war, they knew not to underestimate the figure and in fact, take great caution. Whomever it was that felt confident enough to _literally_ take on the whole world was not to be trifled with

"See lord Madara? I told you Naruto-kun would come to his senses"

"…you're joking, right Obito?"

"Why would I be joking hours before we finally awaken the Gedo Mazo?"

 **"…need I remind you what you looked like after you gave** _ **it**_ **to him?"  
**

"A price for everything, Zet-chan"

 **"Don't talk in that lecturing tone, Obito. I still can't believe you let that monster on the loose so close to lord Madara"  
**

"oh come on. it was just a moment. he went berserk with power. besides. i think i took him away fairly quickly"

Agreeing on the plan, the five Kages began to walk towards the slowly approaching figure. It would be reckless to have everyone shooting something at him. It would be a waste and could cause chaos within the troops. So far, they were used to fighting greater numbers via gorilla tactics but…a single enemy was a first

"Who do you think it'll be, Raikage-sama?"

"I'm not sure, Tsuchikage-sama. It could be another revived Kage from the past"

"well, we defeated all kages from our village"

"No offense Kazakage-sama but…" the mizukage trailed off

"I can see white…hair…" the Hokage trailed off

 ** _Konoha – Hokage's Office_**

 _"Do you think they're related?" the blonde kage asked  
_

 _"No…it can't be…" she whispered  
_

 _"It's hard for you to believe but…judging from the size of the crater and the fact that the body belonged to Uchiha-"  
_

 _"He couldn't have died. There was no body and just because he never signed into the village, it doesn't mean he was involved"  
_

 _"There's still the matter of the Uchiha…While it's true that he was labelled a national threat at the summit, many in konoha still cherish his name and-"  
_

 _"And they want to blame it on this…this…this ex-jinchuriki that they all mistreated?"  
_

 _"Terumi…I know you're frustrated that he's missing but…he can no longer come to konoha without accepting the risks. I'm sorry"  
_

 _'you can't die, Naruto…where are you?...'_

She looked at the Mizukage as the events of that day passed her mind. She was also shocked like the Hokage. She noticed how her body became tenser as the figure drew closer. They approached each other until they could clearly see one another. They all recognized the man who had held Danzo's lifeless head in his hand at the summit meeting

"Namikaze…" the Tsuchikage growled

His hair almost reached his neck now and it would have blocked his vision if not for the slashed headband he was wearing. He wore a slashed Kirigakure headband on his forehead and a slashed Konoha armband on his right arm. His whisker marks were back and they were deeper. His sharp fangs protruded from his lips as he smiled at the sound of his name

"Thank you for remembering That, Tsuchikage-Sama"

"Don't act coy with me, Akatsuki Scum"

"Hmm…The Namikaze I knew was a man of honor and respect. You disgrace the name you claim"

"Words can hurt, Raikage-sama"

he smiled as his eyes passed Tsunade and Kankuro

His smile turned to a grin, one that split his face and closed his inhumane eyes as he noticed her

"Hello, Mizukage-sama"

"N..Naruto…you're alive"

his grin faded instantly and he stared blankly at her. Red Sharingan and Ripple-patterned eyes bore deep into her as they grew colder and colder by the moment

"Of course I'm alive. Jeez…I thought you knew me better than that"

"Enough of this. Are you here to fight or not, Namikaze Naruto?" the Raikage cut in

once more, he smiled as he pulled his index finger with his thumb, cracking it

"I'm not here to fight. I'm here to destroy anyone who passes this line" he said as he pointed at the ground beneath his feet

"What line?"

As the words left Kankuro's mouth, another finger was cracked and he took a step back

"Sphere…Wall"

The spectacle was breathtaking…and shocking when reality sunk in. the wall that his chakra made created a line in the wasteland. The blue hue of the chakra was like an aurora borealis at arm's length. But for the veteran fighters who knew what this much chakra in one body meant…it was a different story. The wall sank back into the ground and the line it created stretched for hundreds of meters. With one last smile, he sat down and stared at them innocently

"Hear me out first before you hit me with that kick you're preparing, Hokage-sama"

he remembered his first meeting with Obito once more…

 **Akatsuki Base**

It started off with a sinking feeling. He literally felt something drop in his chest. The feeling was so real and so sudden that he stumbled back and fell on his back. As he stared longer, he felt something welling up inside him. It felt like the ocean he drowned in had finally found a way out of his enclosed mindscape. His eyes were burning but he refused to blink. The tears were making his vision blurry and it was getting harder to see her beautiful face. Slowly, he started to make his way towards her on all four.

'it's all gone…'

she stared at him with her lifeless eyes. The lack of emotion in them caused him to pause before his fingers touched her somewhat warm skin. He gently caressed her cheek before he closed her eyes. He sat there silently in the middle of the room. All he could do was stare blankly at his final hold on sanity. The hole that was expanding in his chest felt bigger than the hole in hers.

'No...no...not again...not again...'

"You know Naruto-kun…you and I are a lot alike"

he paid the intruder no heed as he stared at her blue hair. His existence didn't matter anymore. He was as important as the tears that were falling uncontrollably. He continued to look longingly at the hair that he one day wished to feel on his fingertips. His half-open mouth served only the purpose of breathing as the man continued his talk

"I was a lot like you…I was a good boy…I believed that I could make a difference. I trained hard but I didn't get anywhere. My rival…and my best friend was always outshining me"

he closed his eyes as her lectures and teachings flooded his memory, increasing the tears that streamed down his face. His ears cut off the man's voice as he remembered the way Konan would soothe him after a hard day with Itachi or Kisame

" _Cheer up, Naruto-kun. The more you sweat in training, the less you'll bleed in battle"_

"Ko-nee-chan…" he whispered quietly  
"…so I gave him my eye to protect the girl I kept in my heart…"

" _Don't worry ko-nee-chan. I won't get serious with a girl if you don't approve of her"_ _  
_

 _"Of course you won't! I'm not letting any girl ruin my little brother. And that blind girl who turned you away needs to get a Sharingan AND a Byakugan to see how awesome my brother is"_

His teeth gritted against each other as reality came crashing down on him again. He had literally lost everything. He had no one and no place to go back to now. There was absolutely nothing in this world that could take away even a little bit of his grief

"…And do you know what I see when I'm finally strong enough to go back into the world, Naruto-kun?"

"What?" he said absentmindedly. He had paid little attention to what he had said before

"I saw…my best friend's hand sticking out of my precious person's chest. I felt it at that moment…why she died…if I was stronger on that day, I wouldn't get buried and I wouldn't leave him to that shitty scarecrow"

"…if you were stronger…" he thought out loud

"That's right Naruto-kun. We both suffered because of our weakness…but it doesn't have to be that way anymore. We can have all our wishes come true, Naruto-kun"

"…eh?"

"You can have a normal life. A great life if you wish for it. Your parents. Your beloved. They can all come back to you, Naruto-kun"

"You're…insane" he growled as he stood up

"No Naruto-kun…you are" he said as he held Naruto's arm

"…huh?" was all he could say as he stared at his right arm

It was trying to stab him in the neck with his own three-pronged Kunai

 **Present**

"Well…there's this thing called the eye of the moon...or moon's eye as i like to call it. From the sound of it, you can guess half of what will happen"

"You're using the moon for a Dojutsu?"

"Aha…Keen as ever, Raikage-sama. Yes. With the power of the Ten-Tails that we wish to revive…"

the very name itself caused the Kages to feel somewhat shocked. The ten tails was a myth but from the looks of it, they really planned on reviving the Bijuu that rivalled

Rikudo himself

"we want to create a Utopia where everyone's dream can be granted with a…let's say…strong Genjutsu. And what Dojutsu casts stronger Genjutsu than the Sharingan?" he asked as he winked at the Hokage with his crimson eye

"Are you mad, Namikaze? You want to create an illusion and live a lie?"

"Think before you speak, Kazekage-sama. Clearly, it would be an insane man's choice to simply pass up the opportunity of living the perfect life"

"You're insane, Uzumaki. I knew that since the day I saw you in the forest of death"

"Hahah…no I'm not"

his smile slowly faded and his ripple-patterned eye twitched as a grimace grew on his face

 **"no I'm NOT…"** he clicked his tongue and ran a hand through his hair as memories came rushing back

"AAAghhkkhhh _"  
_

 _"Come on Naruto-kun. You're making this a real chore for me"  
_

 _he finished strapping his arm to the chair and struggled to stop his other arm from pulling his throat out  
_

 _ **"Maybe…we should prioritize giving him the-"  
**_

 _"Shut Up And Grab His Jaw Zetsu!"_

"Please refrain from calling me that again"

he cleared his throat and continued his argument

"Aherm…think about it for a minute. You can stop all the pain and all the suffering, Kankuro. Think about all the war orphans and the disasters that will come if the moon's eye fails"

"So you think it's better to live a life of lies than to live a life of pain?"

"I'm not sure if your words were chosen to make my point seem wrong, Hokage-sama, but…yes. That's exactly what I'm proposing"

"Wh…what is this? How can you say these things with a straight face, Naruto?"

"How can I not? You of all people should be the first one on my side, Terumi. Why is it so wrong to live in a world empty of war and insane laws? I mean what's the point of training? To grow stronger? To protect what you deem precious? Even if you do protect whatever you want, you'll end up hurting someone else…someone who is another human's precious. This cycle of hatred isn't going to stop no matter how hard you try, Terumi. To live is to devour other lives…and that is nothing short of evil itself"

"Devour others?...are you hearing yourself, Namikaze? You're insane" the Tsuchikage mocked

he plastered a fake smile on his face before he cracked his ring finger

"Please don't call me insane and just think about what I'm saying. Every human is born with the primal desire to obtain power at any cost. Most of the time, the cost of power comes from committing heinous acts. Murder is nothing short of devouring another life with your greed for power"

"I've had it, Naruto. This ends No-"

 **"Shinra Tensei"  
**

he turned his gaze to the ground and ran a hand through his hair once more

" _These eyes can hurt a lot when they're inserted into a body with less-than-perfect compatibility but…I don't think you mind that, do you Naruto-Kun?"  
_  
"The next time, it won't be just a warning push, Kankuro"

after regaining his composure, his smile was back on his face

"Come on. Think about it. This world is rotten to the core. There's no saving it. We just can't get along. Why do you refuse this golden ticket to the perfect life? It's insane" he chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders

"I mean come on. Can you really be seriously considering world peace after this?"

"Why not? We had no problem putting aside our differences to bring you down and we've been doing a great job so far"

"*sigh*…Hokage-sama...That's just short-sighted thinking. What about the next generation. What about the vendetta that still remain? You're not gonna refuse a mission with a good pay plus bonus that demands you to take something from another country, are you Tsuchikage-sama? Raikage-sama? Because if you are, then you're betraying your country by inhibiting its advancement. the only way to stop that is to stop the requests and that's only possible if-"

"stop talking about what you know nothing about, Namikaze"

"...Very well, Tsuchikage-sama. I'll just say this one last thing and my reasoning will end. Then, you can go back and order the attack…or you can celebrate the oncoming paradise"

he cracked his last finger and gritted his teeth, a sign of inner struggle

"This world is rotten and sooner or later, humans will turn against each other and destroy nature and eventually, the world as a side-effect of their very existence. If a type of bird goes extinct, no one will shed a tear but when the idea of humanity going extinct comes up, total chaos. Let us accept that we are intrinsically evil and whether we want to or not, we'll destroy what we love and what we hate. Let humanity die as peacefully as possible…that's all"

"You're insane"

"I Am **NOT!"**

before anyone could move a limb, the puppet master was crushed by the giant armored fist's grip

"S…Susano-o?" the hokage whispered to herself as she watched the armor that enveloped him

"No…it can't be" she said as she fell on her knees, failing to accept what her ace jounin just did

He was enveloped by an armored were-beast, a hybrid of Susano-o and his own preferred fox avatar

"How is this possible?! You are not an Uchiha so how can you-"

"Utilize the Sharingan? I admit that it is a real drain on my reserves since I'm not an uchiha but hey…I have a piece of every Bijuu inside me so I'm not afraid of running out"

" _There's a slight catch Naruto-kun. I can't really give one specifically since they're kinda fused now so you'll have to take a bit more than expected. Think you can do that?"  
_

 _he stared at him blankly and made muffled noises  
_

 _"If you didn't try to bite your own tongue off, I wouldn't have been forced to gag you, Naruto-kun"  
_

'I still don't know why he had a gag…' he thought to himself as the Kages walked away to talk about this unexpected development

he sat in a meditative pose and closed his eyes, using the moment to spend some time with his _mates_

 **Mindscape**

"Ahh…this is the best" he whispered as his beloved redhead played with his bangs while he rested on her lap

 **"idiot…"  
**

"Ouch. Words hurt, kurukyuun"

 **"what took you so long?...i've been waiting since i came here"  
**

"It's good to see you t-"

he was interrupted by a certain busty blonde's intervention as she dropped herself down on his belly

"*Cough*…Shukyuun. Nice to see you"

 **"Not fair. Why do you always go to her first?"  
**

"Err…"

he looked at the seven giant beasts that filled his mindscape. They all looked at him with caution but he only smiled in return

"because I don't have much of a choice?"

 **"Hey…what's that supposed to mean?"  
**

"Nothing dear. Just trying to sound reasonable"

 **"With…that?"** she said monotonously as she stared at the blonde who was examining her own breasts

 **"Huuu…they're so heavy…Do something Rutokyuu~n"  
**

all he could do was smile nervously as his bangs were pulled painfully by the fuming redhead

 **Reality**

"Hmm…he seems to be in a trance. With my speed-"

"Let's not risk anything here, Raikage-sama. He killed the kazekage in an instant so-"

"The kazekage was a greenhorn and we both know it, Hokage-sama. But you have a point. We need to formulate a plan first" he said before he sent a glare towards the man with the cursed last name that haunted him

"Can we…really beat him?" she asked as she looked at her ace jounin

"I'll try to reason with him first" she finished and took off

"Terumi wait! It's dangerous"

"it's fine Tsunade-chan. He won't attack as long as we don't cross his line…or call him insane"

 **Mindscape**

"Ah…this is the best" he said blissfully as he watched the redhead wrestle with her sister. His smile faded as he sensed someone approaching him

'and this is the worst…'

"I'm leaving"

 **"be safe, dear"  
**

 **"Come back soon rutokyuu~n"  
**

 **"don't call him that!"**

He waved towards the other beasts that he was hosting before he disappeared

 **'…weirdo'** they all thought in unison

 **Reality**

"Mei-chan" he whispered with a genuine smile

"Naruto-kun…" she whispered back. She sat before the line and tilted her head as she examined him

"What happened to you Naruto?..."

"i think it's safe to say...a lot"

"Have you forgotten already?...you said you won't die until all that's left of Akatsuki is a bitter memory. Why are you on their side now?"

"The Akatsuki I came to know…is gone" he said with a distant stare

"But enough about me. How are you doing? You're not eating fast food again are you?"

She couldn't help but giggle at that as it revived some bittersweet memories

"Still a grandpa…"

"Well I do have the hair now" he said with a wink. To his disappointment, the friendly talk was over as her gaze grew harder

"It's not too late, Naruto"

he didn't respond. He stared back at her blankly, his lips stretched in a thin, emotionless line

"We can fix this"

Again, no response

"Let's build our world Naruto, Please. It's not too late. I still have hope"

"Humor me, Terumi. What do you hope for in this rotten world?"

"Naruto…" she said weakly. He noticed her inner struggle and tilted his head questioningly

"Say it"

"I know about your past"

his lip twitched slightly but other than that, he remained inscrutable

"All the more reason for you to see my point. We both had a rough upcoming. Why do you still hope that the world can be changed when it doesn't have any mercy on even the children?"

"You're right Naruto. The world wronged us but that doesn't mean we should let it wrong the next generation"

"It's no use, Terumi" he said as his frustration grew

"there's no guarantee that things will turn out as you say. The chances are one in infinity. Even if you do create the perfect society, the child will still turn out bad"

"Wh..What?!"

"Think about it. We're strong because we had a harsh upbringing. Yes, the hardships made us strong and yes, they made us wise…but in the end, they broke a few pieces in the process. If you throw away this world of turmoil for a world of stagnant peace, who's to say the child will not grow up spoiled and rotten, immature and incapable?"

She grew silent at that. She was beginning to see his point now…

"Wise words, Uzumaki"

"Ah…Hokage-sama. How nice of you to join our conversation. Don't you agree?"

"Of course not you brat"

his frustration grew twofold at that

"I…wish you'd give me a good reason when you insult me, Tsunade-sama"

"You're forgetting the biggest factor there is. The human will"

"The…what?" he said with furrowed brows

"The will to claim everything and surpass everyone? Because I'm pretty sure that-"

"No, Uzumaki. The will to make a choice and stand on it. you can't say every choice a person makes is evil"

"Uh…no not every choice but yeah I think it's safe to say about ninety percent of it is concerned with self-interest"

"It's sad that the choices of our forefathers created a world that gave life to a person such as you, Naruto-kun"

"Thank you" he said through gritted teeth, anger evident as he took it as an insult

"Don't misinterpret me Naruto-kun. You're right that the world is rotten. If it's rotten today, it is the result of decades and generations of short-sighted leaders who thought only about their own interests. That led to an underdeveloped society and that … led to broken people such as you and many others"

he nodded slowly at that and motioned for her to continue

"you have my attention Hokage-sama. If the world is so rotten…what is the role of this will you speak of?"

"I was taught by my sensei that inside everyone, there is a will. How we use that will-"

"Depends on our…nature as a person"

" _Oi Jiji. Can I have another bowl of ramen"  
_

 _"Focus Naruto-kun. I'm here to teach you about the will of fire today. inside all of us, there's some good and some evil...Are You Listening?"_

'Hah…good days…'

Images of the snake who turned his world upside down came to life in his mind

"I think the third's death at the hands of his own pupil whom he loved so much should be a fair example, Tsunade-sama" he said as he remembered Itachi's teachings

" _As you can see, even the wisest of men can make a wrong choice when emotion is involved. He chose to believe in his pupil and the will he saw in him"  
_

 _"The will of fire…"_

"Naruto-kun…do you think he made the wrong choice by letting Orochimaru live when he could kill him?"

unable to take this sitting down, he got to his feet, teeth bared and seething rage evident in his eyes

"That man ruined…not just my life…An Entire Generation's Life By His Insanity"

"If he had killed him…you wouldn't be here today, Naruto-kun"

'Wrong choice tsunade-chan' Terumi thought as Naruto's infamous inscrutable countenance returned

"And I wouldn't be stopping you from ruining everyone's life by stopping the Moon's eye. You actually had me interested, Hokage-sama but now…"

he quietly resumed his seated position and let out a sigh

"So…what's up Terumi-chan?"

"There's as much evil in every person as there is good, Naruto-kun. You for one should know that. You're one of the most broken people I know and yet, you haven't

caused any harm to the world"

"That's because I know what the cycle of hatred is and I let it end with me, Tsunade" he answered monotonously

"That's your will. You chose to end the world's wrongdoings by stopping the cycle. I like to believe that such a trait can be developed in other people too, Naruto-kun…and you can help achieve that"

he looked at the line quietly as he wrestled with the idea

'creating a better world…'

the sentence brought back many memories...with many of his precious who no longer existed

"What happens when we die?...how can you guarantee that the next generation won't regress into a chaotic state?"

"That's not up to us, Naruto-kun. We need to have faith…we need to have hope"

"Terumi…"

"You're right. The world's rotten and there's evil in everyone but that doesn't mean we can't hope for a better world. If you hope for it…and use your will to make a better world…" she trailed off as her hand reached past the line and caressed his whisker marks

" **Shouldn't you be worried Obito?"  
**

"Hmm…"

He crossed his arms and tilted his head as her fingers caressed his colleague's whisker marks

" _Well Naruto-kun…I couldn't be prouder. You have the eyes. You have the bijuus…and best of all, you're not trying to rip your own throat out"  
_

 _"Yeah. Thanks for giving her back…though it WAS kinda your fault for killing my sister"  
_

 _*Crack*  
_

 _"Let's not rehash that fight…anyway. I have a present for you, Naruto-kun"  
_

 _the blonde simply tilted his head in question when he reappeared with a familiar redhead. He found his ability to travel between dimensions very interesting  
_

 _"Isn't she…Sasuke's girl?"  
_

 _"Don't be ridiculous Naruto-kun. You really don't recognize your own flesh and blood?"  
_

 _"…huh?"  
_

 _"She is an Uzumaki…just like you"_

"Hmm…I don't think so Zet-chan"

 **"Whatever…The Mazo sure likes to take his time"  
**

"Oh give him an hour or two. It's not easy to wake up after an eternity. Not to mention all that tampering it went through…Lord madara, the bijuu, Naruto. Give it a second"

He pushed her hand away and shook his head in refusal

"Please don't cross the line again, Terumi-chan…" he said with a weak voice

they thought they were finally breaking the man's shell but they couldn't be more wrong. He growled under his breath as he remembered Obito's so-called gift

" _And…what am I supposed to do with her? I have my own redhead"  
_

 _'whom i'm just dying to see...'  
_

 _"Let's all take a seat first" he said before putting her on the table in the meeting room and sitting adjacent to Naruto  
_

 _"I want you to make a choice, Naruto-kun. You know what the moon's eye can do. You have your beloved. You have the most powerful eyes on earth and can do as you please. You could rule the world if you wanted"  
_

 _he simply nodded in return and motioned for him to continue. He took his spiral mask off and showed an unnerving smile  
_

 _"Naruto-kun…I want you to choose between the real world and the illusional world"  
_

 _"And…she's related to this how?"  
_

 _"You can literally restart your family bloodline now, Naruto-kun. The Uzumaki were indeed feared by the world and were one of the primary targets in the wars. While it's true that they don't have a Dojutsu, they more than make up for the lack of supernatural eyes with their supernatural stamina and longevity. One Uzumaki can overpower five adult Jounin if it comes down to it"  
_

 _"So…you're saying she's an important step in taking over the world and ruling it"  
_

 _"Precisely. She's…how should I put it…an amuse-bouche"  
_

 _he couldn't help but chuckle at that  
_

 _"Where'd you pick that word up?"  
_

 _"I knew you'd like it" he said with a wink  
_

 _"So Naruto-kun…which one do you pick? Restart your bloodline and live in this world?...or…"_

"I'm sorry Terumi-chan but…I've made my decision. Even if we start the change, not only will it be ridiculed and decried, one wrong step and it'll be over"

"No Naruto-kun no! please don't-"

"I'm disappointed that you don't see my point, Terumi-chan…I thought you would understand it…the longing for a cozy home with a warm family. I wanted to feel a father's hand on my head or a mother's kiss on my face. I wanted someone to greet me when I opened the door. I wanted brothers and sisters to look after…I wanted a normal life. Was I asking for so much?"

"Naruto-kun…"

"But no…unfortunately, I was deprived of all that because the world is too… **Wrong** "

"See? I told you"

 **"Guh…whatever"**

" _Why shouldn't I pick her?...and the world?"  
_

 _"and then what?"  
_

 _"I'll live as I please"  
_

 _"then?"  
_

 _He narrowed his eyes. It took him only a moment to figure out where he was going with this. He looked away from the slowly awakening girl and grimaced. He was right. Even if he ruled the world…even with all the power that he craved all his life…it was all pointless. He could have the world but in reality, he would have a rotten world, just a short-lived and passing fancy_

"In the end, it's pointless, Terumi-chan. The chances of humanity changing its course are so very slim. No one wants to change anymore. They're complacent with what they are but not with what they have"

"Now you're just being unreasonable, Brat"

"Not really. All you are suggesting is a possibility backed up by optimistic opinions"

"And you're suggesting is the easy way out"

"from your point of view, yes it is pretty easy. The Akatsuki worked itself to the bone trying to gather all of the bijuu without any casualties so yes, it's easily imaginable how you'd call this miracle we've been working on _easy_ " he said with an annoyed tone

'he has a point…' she thought as she looked at Terumi. Their hope of breaking into the man was crushed by his attitude's sudden revival

He smiled under his mask as both women walked away from Naruto and the line he had made

" _Ah. Good afternoon, Uzumaki-san. Did you have a nice rest?"  
_

 _"Rest? You gagged me and tied me up! Why do you even have that stuff?!"  
_

 _"I just like to play around with my abilities from time to time"  
_

 _Naruto suddenly felt sick by the horrible images that that sentence brought about. He was stuck in his dimension when his body went mad and he knew what he was capable of. He only hoped that he was joking…  
_

 _"That aside, I'd like you to meet your long lost cousin. Uzumaki Naruto"  
_

 _She rolled over on the table and looked at the white-head  
_

 _"…I think my clone gave a pretty good first impression"  
_

 _"There's no way that he's my cousin" she said with finality and a blank stare  
_

 _"Hey…"  
_

 _"now now. Be nice to each other"  
_

 _growling in frustration, he decided to honor his sister's teachings and untied her  
_

 _"here…I can do at least that much for a girl"  
_

 _"Thanks…I guess" she said with uncertainty as she rubbed her wrists_

"It's no use. He's pretty much set on the idea that the world is too evil and rotten"

"Well while you two were chatting away our precious time, we came up with an idea. It's simple and _insane_ but it just might work"

everyone decided to smile at the old man's so very weak pun that was related to Naruto. Who knew…he could die in five minutes and there was no need to break his spirit now

 **Mindscape**

"Kurukyu~uun" he said with a droopy face

 **"Rutokun?!"** she said with a shocked tone

"Give me loves and hugs" he said as he fell to his knees, arms spread and his hand constantly forming a fist and reopening, a gesture of his desperate need for a hug

she wrapped him in a warm hug and kissed his head

 **"There there…what did they do to my rutokyuun?"  
**

"They tried to change my mind kurukyuun. Now I feel horrible. They kept saying things like hope and will but I swept it all away with logic. Now I feel bad"

 **"There there…everything's fine…you're with me now, Ruto-kun…and I won't let anyone harm you"  
**

"Kurukyuun…I love-"

*Thwack*

 **"Don't Kick My Naruto Away Like That You Bimbo!"  
**

 **"Rutokyuu~uun. Play with shukyuun too"** she said with a longing tone

"Then Don't Kick Me Away!"

 **"But Rutokyu~uun…I love you so much"** she said happily as she played with her sister's red hair. Not minding the outcome, she crossed her arms and cursed her _blessings_ with her glares

 **'stupid bimbo…'  
**

 **"scratch the top more"**

to the side, many disturbed and somewhat disgusted tailed beasts watched the spectacle

 **'How horrible…'  
**

 **'She kicked him even though she wanted him…'  
**

 **'She wanted her sister's lover?...jeez…'  
**

 **'Is he okay after getting kicked that far?...he's limping…'  
**

 **'Goddammit I'm stuck with another weirdo…'  
**

 **'It's always the weirdos that turn into a jinchuriki…'  
**

 **'This guy's out of his mind, playing with fox and raccoon…he gets kicked away, like a sterile baboon…OH YEAH!'  
**

He growled under his breath as he limped towards the waving, happy busty blonde

'patience Naruto…no need to let them know you just heard everything…it'll be over soon…'

 **'I wish bee was here, he'd rap with some vibe…this guy only plays with chicks, gets kicked all the time…OH YEAH!'  
**

'…Phuck…' he thought as he imagined how this Bijuu's jinchuriki was in real life

 **Reality**

"What now?" he said with an annoyed tone as all five stood before the line

"Could you bring us the head of the organization? We believe it's the masked man whom we encountered at the summit meeting"

"*Sigh*…fine. Wait here" he said before forming a ram seal and disappearing

all five looked at each other incredulously

"It…worked?"

"Hello Naruto-kun. How can I help you?"

"They wanna talk to you"

"…Naruto-kun"

"What?" he said as he lied down on his back, hands resting under his head

"They're crossing the line"

"And?"

"Didn't I tell you to keep the line closed?"

"You also told me to inform you of new developments. Who knows. Maybe they've given up"

"And…why are they not going BACK if they've given up?"

He rolled over and closed his eyes in response

"Dammit Naruto Don't Be So Lazy!"

" _Naruto-kun…"  
_

 _"I already said no"  
_

 _"Jeez keep it down you two. I liked sasuke more…he was quiet all the time"  
_

 _'…were the history books mistaken about the uzumaki's hyperactivity?'  
_

 _"Fine…I'll go get the eight tail on my own. But you're keeping her company"  
_

 _"No"  
_

 _"No"  
_

 _"You don't have a choice. See ya!"_

He growled under his breath before he jumped down the ledge and begun his walk towards the Kages

 **Mindscape**

"Kurukyuu~uun" he smiled warmly as she snuggled closer into his embrace

 **"Welcome home"  
**

"It's good to be home" he whispered with a bittersweet tone. He moved his hand up from her back and gently scratched her scalp, drawing pleased purrs

"it's going to end soon…"

 **"Ruto-kun?..."  
**

"I'll make sure…to do the world right…so please stay with me for now"

 **Reality**

"Fine whatever jeez…just go talk to your people and whoever wants to oh so righteously fight against the utopia I'm suggesting. You didn't have to drag me all the way here…dammit…"

he sighed and rolled his eyes behind his mask as the Raikage's lariat passed right through him

"Really?...you think that you five can beat me? what next huh? what if that monster who made a line that practically split the earth shows up? who came up with this shitty plan?"

 **Mindscape**

'…how did this happen?' he thought as he smiled helplessly. To his right were two annoyed girls and to his right was the source of that annoyance. Shukaku and Kurama stared at her in a not so friendly matter. She had short blond hair but unlike shukaku's rebellious hair, it was tame and reached her neck. Her proportions were pretty normal too. Not too small like Kurama's and not too big like shukaku's

 **"Oh come on. I'm bored. A kitty needs her share of the fun too"  
**

 **"Back off Matatabi. He's mine"  
**

 **"Kurukyuu~n! he's mine too. Matatan, you can't have him"  
**

he killed a chuckle in his throat as the name amused him to no end. He really enjoyed her sense of naming

 **"oh come on. my jailor was a girl and she wasn't as fun as this interesting guy"** she purred as she slowly kneeled next to him

"Oho…it's good to see I'm not the only person around with eye colors that don't match each other"

 **"I think you and I have a lot more in common, Rutotan"  
**

a smile graced his lips as he was given his new nickname

"And what might that be?"

 **"We both live for the sake of fun. Boredom is soo~…boring"** she said with a wink as she bit his ear lobe, drawing gasps from her sisters. On the side, Mighty bijuus sighed at the spectacle

 **'Ah my god…'  
**

 **'Well…it's a foursome now'  
**

 **'oh god why?...'  
**

 **'I don't think common sense matters anymore'  
**

 **'I think sixy just lost it…he's poker-faced'  
**

 **'Mata joins the fray, fights shu and ku…can this lucky bastard make it through?...OH YEAH!'  
**

'Goddammit…'

he sighed and shook his head in resignation as the nude beauties started fighting over him

"Watch the fac-"

*Thwack*

 **"Mine!"**

 **Reality**

"What?!"

"Hey! I'm the one who should be annoyed. How can you fall asleep when the world's coming to an end?"

He sat up and shrugged in response

"I guess I'm just satisfied with what I have"

"Yeah well we've got company. It's your turn now. Besides…if I'm not mistaken, they're all from the leaf"

'jeez…what are they trying to pull?'

"Do you think it'll work Tsunade-sama?"

"It's our last shot. Can't hurt to try, right Terumi?"

'I'm not so sure about that…'

 **The line**

"…I think I've already had a horrible impression on all of you so let's just get to the point. Did either Tsunade or Terumi send you? Because if they did, it's just sad and disappointing"

the only response he received was the hooded nin's hand as it readjusted his glasses

"…always nice to see an Aburame brimming with enthusiasm and excitement. Lee could learn a thing or two from you"

"My bugs inform me of changes within you, Naruto-kun. Why do they think…there's a giant insect's chakra residing in you?"

'…the seven tails?'

"Naruto-kun! Please come back with us. We can start over"

'ah god she's as bad as Terumi now…'

"Look at how we're all united now"

"Yeah. I love it. You're all united to fight against one common enemy and when that enemy's gone, you're all gonna go back to the life you're trying to protect. One full of war and perpetual misery"

"How troublesome…"

"Wiser words were never said" he grumbled as he sat down, his head resting on his hand

"Your Kages couldn't convince me otherwise so I don't see the point. I mean sure maybe you're all just useless and they don't know of any other ways to get rid of you but if that's the case, it's understandable but still a chore for me"

"Are you done now, Uzumaki?"

"Meh…if that stern face isn't going to change, yes. I'm done Hyuuga-san"

"Some of us are here to change your mind. The rest are here voluntarily"

"I see…" he whispered as he stood up. He took a step back from the line and allowed his intent to harm all intruders fill the area. Needless to say, the tension was raised tenfold

"Cross the line at your own risk. I'm not about to give up on a lifetime of happiness because you're all obsessed with staying the same"

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send-"

"it's fine. What he does to them…will determine Naruto's true intention"

"he had no problem killing the Kazekage. Why should they be any different?"

"Let's face it Terumi. The Kazekage was asking for it. Naruto was clearly upset by the insults and he refused to change his mind so…he made an example out of him. if you're unreasonable and a pain, you get crushed. But they…they are different"

"How so?"

"Look Terumi"

Naruto was having a hard time dodging the prodigy's gentle strikes but he wasn't fighting back

'Naruto's still Naruto. He still wants the best for everyone...even though he…Naruto…'

memories of that moment she called him a killing machine crossed her mind and for the umpteenth time, she lamented that moment

"We just need to show him that there's still hope"

"I think I can help with that, Hime-chan"

"Y…You?!"

"Don't talk to your ex-teammate like that…old hag…"

"Watch your tone Karin-chan. She's still very precious to me. I have no problem defending myself either"

" **Obito…"  
**

"Hahahahah! Absolutely Incredible" he shouted with gusto as his arms swung open with delight

"Oh I can't wait to see what Naruto does next"

 **'Dammit…lord madara…'**

'What a pain' he thought as he avoided a palm aimed at his face. His constant dodging had really taken a toll on the prodigy. Now, he didn't even need the Sharingan to dodge his strikes. Grabbing the arm, he threw the prodigy back over the line

"can you please back off when you realize the other guy's just too much? Jeez…how stubborn can you-" he trailed off

on the other side of the line, the former rookie nine watched in confusion as his face changed many different shades. It went from white to red and finally, dark purple. It looked like he was suffocating. The deep growling that grew in his throat suggested otherwise though

 **"You…"**

"Hello…Naruto-kun"

"I'm worried…"

"Me too Tsunade-sama but there's no other way. He's a wild card but…we really don't have much of a choice without Naruto. We already warned his friends, right? They'll be fine…" she finished weakly as she felt the white-head's killer intent reach that far

" **Sphere…"**

"Now!"

At the hyuuga's command, all except the newcomer jumped back as far as they could before a giant dome engulfed the two figures

"Hohoho…not bad Naruto-kun. Like I said, you would have been a fine vessel"

 **"What the fuck are you doing here?"  
**

"Is that really the tone you'd like to have with one of your godfathers?"

 **"Don't mess with me"  
**

"how sad…and after all the trouble I went through to get the requirement for this"

he watched in anticipation as the pale provoker performed his summoning. The dome of chakra was absorbed back into his body as his blood turned to ice in his veins

 **"The…hell?"  
**

"Haha…not a bad pun kid"

"We weren't in hell you idiot"

"First. Second. Please. The world's at stake here so please take this seriously"

"Hahaha. It's good to see I'm not breaking the traditions in the Hokage lineage"

"Not you too, Minato…"

he watched in confusion and shock as the faces he recognized came back to life. As a child, he spent his days staring at those faces. The same faces that were carved into the mountain now laughed without a care in the world in front of him

"So, Orochimaru. Why are we here?"

"It's good to see you too sensei"

"Cut it out, Orochimaru"

"oh come on Sarutobi-jiji. He probably has a good reason. It's not an easy task you know. Reviving people sealed by the Shinigami himself…you have a good reason, right Orochi-chan?"

"Thank you for the vote of confidence…and the nickname, Minato-sama. You're here to convince your son otherwise and beat some sense into him"

 **"Wh…** what?"


	9. Chapter 9

_**Peaceful sleep**_

"Who are you calling an old hag?"

"You can hide all those wrinkles but you can't deny that you lived through a war. I think that's proof enough to determine you're an old hag, old hag"

"Let Me Go Terumi!"

She ignored the legendary sucker as the white-head's shocked face brought back fond memories for her

" _So…uh…you hungry?" he asked with a nervous smile as her stomach growled in protest  
_

 _"Are you keeping me verbally hostage?"  
_

 _"I'll cook something up right away"_

.  
.

 _"You don't have to watch me cook you know"_

 _"I don't trust you"_

 _'how troublesome…'_

 _he glanced at the meat that simmered before resuming his work on the salad_

 _"So…tell me about yourself?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"I cook better if I know the person I'm cooking for. It gets me motivated"_

 _"Well…I lived with my mom in Kusagakure. We were allowed refuge as long as my mom healed the wounded. Then she died from exhaustion and the job was given to me"_

 _she paused and watched him peel the carrots flawlessly_

 _"Are you even listening?"_

 _"Kusagakure. Tragedy. I'm still listening. The reason I'm not saying I'm sorry is because I know you're over it and hearing lies and sympathy only pisses an Uzumaki off"_

 _"Hah…damn straight"_

 _'there's the Uzumaki blood…'_

 _"But after she died, they gave her job to me. it was such a drain"_

 _"Jeez…that sounds awful"_

 _"You don't care that my mom died but you care about how I felt with my job?"_

 _"…yeah?" he said as he shrugged his shoulders. He poured the content of his chopping into the pot and let the soup boil_

 _"Mmm…that smells good"_

 _'weren't you pissed off a second ago?' he thought as he stared at her_

 _"So one day, I sensed a huge group approach the village. I had no love for those insensitive bastards so I hid until they all died"_

 _"sounds great"_

 _"Afterwards, Orochimaru-sama approached me and…hey...Hey!"_

 _"What?" he asked, surprised by her outburst_

 _"You idiot! Look at what you did" she grumbled as she took the knife he was pressing in his hand out. Apparently, he had forgotten to put the knife down and the name had revived a few unsettling images. He let her wash his hand in the sink and watched with amusement as she was surprised by his rapid healing_

 _"Runs in the family" he said with a wink before he turned the stove off. Unable to contain her delight, she sat behind the table and hummed enthusiastically_

.  
.

 _"That was…the best meal of my life. I can really die without any regrets now"_

 _Smiling proudly, he cleared the table and started washing the dishes_

 _"So hey…you seem like a nice guy. Why are you with that perverted creep?...and why does his name make your skin turn pale?"_

 _"Whose name?"_

 _"Orochimaru"_

It was the same pale face as before. those shocked eyes were staring at the blonde man with spiky hair as he slowly approached him

"Hey son"

"Dad?..." he whispered with a breaking voice

"Haha…never thought I'd hear-"

*Thwack*

he grabbed him by the shoulders before his knee sank into the taller man's abdomen

"*Cough*…I think I deserve that"

*Pound*

his arm came down full force on his spine, connecting with his knee as it pierced the undead man. The merciless brute paced back and forth as he waited for the man to regenerate

'Wow…' the first thought

'talk about tough love' the second thought

'what's wrong with him?' the third thought as he stared at his pupil in confusion. said pupil was smirking with delight

'Hahaha…I don't want you as my vessel anymore, Naruto-kun. I want you for myself now'

"Wow…I don't think I deserved to be pierced in the spine like that"

"do you… **Have any idea…What I Had To Go Through?"**

" _i…have some bad memories with that name"  
_

 _"okay"  
_

 _"okay…what?"  
_

 _"tell me"  
_

 _"no"_

 _"tell me"_

.

.

 _'When is that perverted freak coming back?'_

 _"Tell me"_

 _"no"_

.  
.

 _"Tell me"  
_

 _'goddammit…'  
_

 _"if I tell you, will you stop talking for at least an hour?"  
_

 _"depends on how much you tell me about yourself" she said with a smile  
_

 _'that…is the most innocent yet evil smile I've ever seen'  
_

 _"Jeez…I was the jailor of the nine tailed fox. Life as a jinchuriki is tough. You regularly get picked on, customer's service doesn't apply to you, the cold glares are a must and so on. best part is that as a kid, it really really hurts" he said with a smile. She noticed his eyes mist over and grew frustrated  
_

 _'You just had to ask didn't you?...'  
_

 _"So I dreamed of becoming the hokage. That way, I'd get their love and respect, fair and square"  
_

 _"Hah…how'd that turn out for ya?"  
_

 _"I ended up cooking for my cousin in the most feared organization's kitchen"  
_

 _she doubled over as she laughed from the bottom of her heart. He smiled in return as her laughter was extremely contagious  
"So…somewhere along the line, Orochimaru came into my life and turned everything upside down"  
_

 _"he turns everyone upside down. It's something he's good at"  
_

 _"No kidding…I used to run around and shout out loud like a kid before I met him. after he messed up the seal that contained the Bijuu…Well…I guess a few knots turned loose and I realized it was all just a dream. An illusion to keep me going through the day with the horrible treatments. Then I met my redhead and…the pieces came together. I was loathed because I jailed the demon that terrorized the village on the day I was born"  
_

 _"That sounds…rough"  
_

 _"not as rough as treating strangers all day. I can only imagine how many perverted weirdos asked for the loli little nurse"  
_

 _*Thwack*_

"What are you smirking about?"

"Nothing an old hag could understand"

"Why You-"

she was cut off as the fourth hokage's body flew past them. Immediately, the blur that was his body was followed by Naruto

"They're just working out some family issues. Leave it to us" the third said as he ran past them

"Granddaughter!"

"Not now brother!"

"…you're the First hokage's granddaughter?" she asked through gritted teeth as she held back a fit of laughter

"Don't…even…start with me you little brat"

" **Do you have any idea how it feels to lose everyone you love? I went Insane! My Body Was Trying To Kill Me!"**

"… _and that was the last line for me. Losing Konan sent me out of control"  
_

 _'…you just had to ask' she chastised herself as he finished. She thought she had a harsh life but hearing this guy out really brought life into perspective  
_

 _"Wait..so…why are you working with him if he hurt you like that?"  
_

 _"well-"  
_

 _the kettle's noise cut him off. It seemed to take forever for him to make that tea. She was fidgeting in her seat all the time  
_

 _"Tea's ready. I guess the Uzumaki's impatience is for real"  
_

 _"yeah but it's lost on you"  
_

 _"ouch. Words hurt you know"  
_

 _"So why work with him?"  
_

 _He stared at his steaming tea in contemplation. His distant stare told her that he was way out of this world  
_

 _"Karin…do you know why I became the way I am?"  
_

 _"Because…your luck sucks?"  
_

 _"haha…I guess that's one perspective. I think I am the way I am…because the world is too rotten"_

'Naruto…'  
she watched sadly as the melancholic memories flew by. If the man's father wasn't undead, he would be dead about fifteen times over. their fight had reached the point where the previous hokages had given up and watched as the two flew around with their infamous Hiraishin

" _I lost my parents because a person with a Sharingan manipulated the nine tailed fox into attacking the village. My assumption is that it's either Lord Madara or Obito but…killing them won't change anything"  
_

 _"Naruto…"  
_

 _"I lived a horrible life because everyone was just too blinded by hatred to see me as just a jailor. After I snapped out of my illusion, thanks to your lord orochimaru, I only chased whatever made the seconds pass easier. I just wanted to break away from everything. It wasn't my fault…it wasn't their fault either I guess. They were all just blinded. All by either their emotions or their lower state of mind"  
_

 _"Jeez what are you? The high priest of the fire temple?"  
_

 _He sipped his tea and shrugged  
_

 _"I'm just saying…the world is beyond saving now. There's only one way for everyone to realize"  
_

 _"Realize what?"  
_

 _"I'm Home!"_

The statue trembled as it showed signs of life

 **"Finally…"  
**

"Did you see the way he kicked his own father?"

 **"Yes obito I saw it. He probably had some practice"  
**

"…on what mortal creature?" he said with a snort

 **Mindscape**

" **ACHOO"  
**

 **"Eww…You Got Spit All Over Me!"  
**

 **"Nyahahaha"**

 **Reality**

"Well...time's up. see you on the other side dad"

"Wh-"

He let go of the neck he was holding and looked at the shaking statue with a blank face

"About time…"

he walked past everyone and past the line before he turned around with a genuine smile plastered on his face

"Thank you for your patience. There's just one thing I'd like to let you all know"

his smile faded into a weaker state as he looked at the line with a feeling of melancholy

"Live. Love unconditionally and treat others the same way you'd like to be treated"

And so…the end began  
At this point, struggle was useless for humanity. One by one, they were consumed by the tree and sent into the utopia that they wished for  
all except one man. He stared at the cocoons longingly with his mismatched eyes. He truly wanted to be lied to. to believe in a beautiful lie and die peacefully…but that was not the right thing to do. he stayed awake and away from relief with his Sharingan

" **Uzumaki…"  
**

 **"Nice to see the better you, Lord Madara"** he replied politely as the younger lord approached him with Obito and Zetsu right next to him

 **"Naruto…what are you doing?"  
**

 **"Zetsu…"  
**

 **"Don't. We've worked hard for this utopia Naruto. Do not do this to yourself"  
**

 **"I'm not doing this for myself…I…"**

" _Hey Kuru-chan…do you think that one day…we'll all live peacefully?"  
_

 _ **"Did you think about something besides me again?"  
**_

 _"Hey…I'm serious. I want a world where we think about someone besides ourselves"  
_

 _ **"That's impossible rutokyuun. We're all blinded by our ambitions, dreams, emotions and more. There's just…too much"  
**_

 _"Huuu…you're not helping"_

" **I want a better world. I want them to see past their own ideals and dreams. To look at the world in someone else's perspective"  
**

 **"And how can you be sure about that? do you really think they'll turn selfless?"**

" _Itachi-senseeeeei"  
_

 _"No"  
_

 _"Come on!"  
_

 _"It's impossible Naruto-kun. You can't make everyone realize that their ideals are incomparable to the greater good. It's just human nature to want the best for himself"  
_

 _"But that's…so short-sighted. What happens next? What about the repercussions?"  
_

 _"They just don't care Naruto-kun. And neither should you"_

" **I can't be sure about that. I can just throw the dice and…hope"  
**

 **"Are you hearing yourself?...they will just go back to aiming for each other's throat if you release them"  
**

 **"Well Madara-sama…this is the best chance I can have at showing everyone that the dreams they have in their heads are just that…dreams. If they realize that a dream that concerns only one person is just a fantasy, they'll understand that building the world for someone else is the right thing to do"  
**

 **"This is painful to listen to…you're not a saint and you have no obligation to them. Not after you were broken over and over by them"**

" _But Ko-nee-chaaan"  
_

 _"No"  
_

 _"I'm kinda regretting sharing my dream with you now…"_

He smiled as he felt Konan's warm hands on his cheek. It was like she was right there…

" _My little brother is stronger than this. Do you understand? Your dream is the greatest thing I've heard and I believe in you Naruto. if you promise me that you'll find a way to do it…I promise I'll believe in you"  
_

 _"Ko-nee…"  
_

 _she enveloped him in a tight hug and slowly scratched his head  
_

 _"I know you've been hurt Naruto but you can either take that pain and grow or…you can throw it back at others. But as a smart little brother, you already know that that cycle is not worth it"  
_

 _"Ko-nee…"  
_

 _"it's sad…that you're the type who believes to be hurt is better than to hurt others. Sometimes, I wish you could be just like everyone else and do something about your unfair life"  
_

 _"…" no response  
_

 _"I wish I could see the day you make that dream happen. I'm sure it'll be a great place"_

" **You're right Madara-sama. I was wronged beyond unfair. At some point, it was just unnecessary. But I chose to bear it and grow through it…it's not a choice many make willingly but I just couldn't hurt anyone back for my pain. It was…unfair"  
**

 **"** You're not changing your mind…are you Naruto-kun? **"**

" _You can go Karin. I'm choosing the moon's eye and unless you can beat a Kage on your own, you'll just be entertainment"  
_

 _"…don't you mean a burden?"  
_

 _"Meh. I'm sure you can make time pass easier with your lovely attitude"  
_

 _"Oho. You two have gotten pretty close while I was gone"  
_

 _"Shut up you perverted freak"  
_

 _"There's that tone I love in my victims…huhuhu…"  
_

 _"Let's…uh…I'll take Karin out. Why don't you go rest, Obito? Looks like the last bijuu took a real toll on you"_  
 _._  
 _._  
 _._

 _"So…this is goodbye, huh?"_

 _"It doesn't have to be if you wanna stick around"_

 _"Nah. I want to go find Orochimaru or Kabuto at least"_

 _"Jeez…are the Uzumaki that loyal?"_

 _"It's better than your dream" she said as she stuck out her tongue_

 _"a world where we all get along and wake up with smiles…I know you told me you're insane but maybe there's really a screw loose in there. Why would you dream of doing something no one would do willingly?"_

 _"Because I'm…insane?" he said with a smile and a wink_

 **"I'm sorry Obito…I wish I could prove you right and be your friend but…I'm choosing the path no one would make willingly"** he said weakly as he took out two three-pronged kunai and enveloped himself in his hybrid armor

 **"So be it…"**

No one really knew how long the battle took. Everyone slept peacefully, dreaming of their own utopia. One dreamed of building the best restaurant in the world while the other dreamed of ruling the world. How long they were asleep, again, no one knows for sure. What they did know was that it was peaceful. It was perfect

"Kuru-chan….*Cough*"

 **"Don't speak"** she whispered with a breaking voice as she kneeled beside the torn man. His right leg and left arm were missing and his skin was a pale color. His Rinnegan was missing but his Sharingan stared at the moon

"Are there…any more…chakra seals?"

 **"No…"  
**

"Haha…then I guess…"

 **"No…please…"  
**

she gently moved his head and put it on her lap. The hair that once had the color of snow was now dyed red with his own blood. His breathing was slow now...so slow...

"Kuru-chan…I'm sorry…"

 **"For what you dummy?"** she asked as beads of tear fell on his tired face

"I can't see anymore...the moon…th-*Cough*"

 **"Rutokun…"**

"Did I do a good job?"

 **"Yes…yes, you did a great job"  
**

"Is that so…Haha…I'm happy"

she bit her lower lip in sorrow as his eyelid slowly began to close

"I'm tired Kuru-chan…can I sleep…on your lap…one last time?"

 **"Idiot…you can sleep here anytime you want…I'm not letting anyone else sleep here"  
**

"Kuru-chan…"

 **"What?"  
**

"Can you…"

his eyelid closed and his hand searched for her face

"play with my hair?...i can't sleep…without your hand on me…and I haven't slept…for a long time"

 **"You…idiot…of course…I will"** she said weakly, holding back her sobs

she played with the bangs on his smiling face and he caressed her face in a slow manner

"So…"

his hand slowly came down and rested on his chest

"Sleepy…"

Outside of the crater, the bijuu watched sadly as the tired man slept on his beloved's lap. It was a long fight. To call it draining would be an understatement. They were set loose in the middle of a war between two giant chakra figures and none of them looked friendly. They recognized the man who kept them company and also recognized the man responsible for their captivity. It was simple from thereon

Do or Die

The terrain was turned completely upside down by their battles. It didn't matter how long it took…but with His Sacrifices, they finally pinned the man down and extracted the rest of their chakra from him. he took his eye and continued to hold the infinite tsukuyomi. just long enough to make everyone realize...

" **Naruto?..."**

"nn…"

 **"Can I ask you…one last favor?"  
**

"…mm…."

 **"Could you…please…stay awake…for a bit longer?"  
**

"…Ku…"

 **"Please…there's so much I want to tell you…and so much I want to hear from you. Please stay awake"** she said desperately as his breathing became slower and slower

 **"I don't want you to sleep Naruto…I want you to stay awake and look at me again. You stayed awake all this time to find me…why sleep now?** she asked as her voice finally broke and her crying began

his chest wasn't moving anymore

 **"Why?...Why did it have to be you?"  
**

 **"Kurukyuun…"** she whispered as she kneeled next to her sister

 **"I don't want you to sleep Naruto…I want to go home with you…I want to feel what a bed feels like with you…Naruto…"  
**

 **"Kurama…he's sleeping…"  
**

 **"I Don't Want Him To!  
Why does he have to pay for the world's sins?  
Why him?  
Tell Me Why!"  
**

 **"Because…he was the only who could make the choice that was needed"  
**

 **"No…my poor Naruto…no…"** she whispered as her fingers caressed his whisker marks

 **"you were so lonely without me…it must have hurt a lot…Naruto…"**

 **"Come on Kurama…let's go"  
**

 **"Naruto..."  
**

 **"He's…asleep. Let him rest. He just did the impossible so give him a minute or two"**

No one knew why they woke up to a vast field full of holes and craters. They didn't know why they woke up anyway. What they did know however…was how hollow their dreams were  
everyone just woke up from the perfect slumber with nothing left to do. They had just lived out their dreams…what was left to do?  
"W..where's Naruto?" she asked as she looked around frantically for the man she dreamt a life with. As soon as she woke up and remembered his last words, she swore to hold on to him and never let him go ever again. one more time, she wanted to live the perfect life with the man of her dreams  
but unfortunately…Naruto was nowhere to be found

Time passed

The troops and their leaders returned home

They shared their experience and decided to honor the man they assumed to be their savior's last words

They stopped storing the goods and surprisingly, the world suddenly seemed bountiful. There was so much to go around that no one slept with a hungry stomach. Ninjutsu and Taijutsu were used to harness the land and even Genjutsu was used on some uncooperative people to show them the err of their ways

The years continued to pass by and the laws faded with them

All that mattered was that there were humans. All breathing from the same air and growing with the same nutrients. Class and power meant nothing if you weren't loved and respected now. And if you were loved and respected, it simply meant you had to work harder to live up to the control others gave you. If you were to turn selfish at some point…a stronger hand would crush you back to the ground and give your wealth to the less arrogant

Life continuously grew simpler and simpler by the day

All lived just for the sake of happiness and loved each other unconditionally because they knew there was no greater happiness than seeing someone smile just because you loved them back. all you needed was someone else. there were no more broken pieces to fit together...

" **Rutokyuun…It's your dream"** she said as she caressed the slashed headband

 **"You can sleep soundly…the world's better now"**


	10. A few words

Hello to all dear readers

Thank you for following through with the story

I know you expected something different when you first started reading the story but please hear me out

At first, I tried to make it really enjoyable and attractive and to show what kind of writing you should expect. I tried to hint that it'll be unpredictable but I ended up disappointing a few and I'm really sorry about that

I tried to write a different kind of story. One that's unique from all the other good fanfictions out there. I've studied a fair amount of good fictions and I can say I tried to make something that had a little bit of all of them in it. Things like enjoyable humor and bittersweet moments. I'm sorry but angst moments had to be included for what I had in mind

I tried to keep one main plotline as the story took its twists and turns. Again, I apologize for giving the wrong idea when you first started reading it but as some meticulous readers noticed in the ending chapters, I was trying to develop a character and an idea

In the end, I'd like to thank you all once more for reading my work. I hope you enjoyed it and more importantly, learned something from it. A word, a sentence, an idea, doesn't matter. As long as you enjoyed and developed

Keep safe


End file.
